Israel strikes Hezbollah areas in Beirut, southern Lebanon for third day

BEIRUT (Reuters) – Israeli forces launched airstrikes on Hezbollah-controlled areas in Beirut for a third consecutive day on Thursday, hitting locations in the capital’s southern suburbs early in the morning after a night of heavy bombardments.

Plumes of smoke rose over Beirut as the strikes continued, while raids also reached southern Lebanon’s Bint Jbeil, where overnight airstrikes and artillery shelling inflicted heavy damage on buildings and residential complexes, according to Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA).

Five people were killed in airstrikes on the towns of Bazourieh and Jumayjimah, NNA reported.

Israel launched a major air and ground offensive against the Iran-backed group Hezbollah in late September after nearly a year of cross-border conflict in parallel with the Gaza war.

Lebanese authorities have not yet confirmed casualties from Thursday’s strikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs, which have been largely evacuated. According to Lebanon’s health ministry, Israeli attacks have killed at least 3,365 people and wounded 14,344 across Lebanon since Oct. 7.

Ali Hassan Khalil, the political aide to Lebanon’s Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, on Wednesday said Lebanese negotiators reached a preliminary understanding with U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein on a framework for a ceasefire.

In an interview with the broadcaster Aljzaeera on Wednesday evening, Khalil said that this proposal was conveyed to the Israeli side through Hochstein, though Lebanon had yet to receive any response or suggested amendments from Israel.

He said any potential deal must be firmly based on UN Resolution 1701, adopted in 2006, to help the Lebanese army keep its southern border area with Israel free of weapons or armed personnel other than those of the Lebanese state.

Khalil said Lebanon had no objection to U.S. or French participation in overseeing ceasefire compliance.

(Reporting by Riham Alkousaa; Editing by Toby Chopra)