Six killed in Israeli strikes on south Lebanon as talks in US enter second day

Six people were killed Friday in strikes on south Lebanon, hours before Lebanese and Israeli envoys were set to meet for a second day of talks in Washington.

Israel's military called on residents of five villages in southern Lebanon to immediately evacuate ahead of expected attacks, despite a truce with Lebanon intended to halt the fighting.

"In light of the terrorist Hezbollah's violation of the ceasefire agreement, the Defense Army is compelled to act against it forcefully," the military's Arabic-language spokesman Avichay Adraee posted on X, listing five villages near the city of Tyre, on the south Lebanon coast.

"For your safety, you must evacuate your homes immediately and stay away from the villages and towns by a distance of no less than 1,000 meters," he added.

The warned villages are Shabriha, Maashouq, Hosh, Hamadieh, and Zqouq el-Mufdi.

Israeli strikes later targeted Kounine, Baraashit, Beit Yahoun, Kfar Remman, Majdal Selem, Shhour, al-Majadel, Froun, Harouf and Nabatieh, killing six people and wounding two others.

Israel's military said it was striking Hezbollah targets in the Tyre area of south Lebanon.

"The IDF has begun striking Hezbollah infrastructure sites in the area of Tyre in southern Lebanon," the army said in a statement, hours after issuing the evacuation warnings.

In a separate statement, the military said "a number of explosive drones" had fallen in several areas of northern Israel.

Hezbollah said its fighters targeted Israeli drones and warplanes over south Lebanon with surface-to-air missiles, and troops and equipment in the southern border towns of Rshaf, Haddatha, al-Bayyada, Khiam and Taybeh.

Israel's military said Friday that one of its soldiers died in combat in southern Lebanon, bringing its losses to 20 personnel since the war with Hezbollah began in early March.

Staff Sergeant Negev Dagan, 20, "fell during combat in southern Lebanon", the military said, without providing additional information.

Since the war began, 19 Israeli soldiers and one civilian contractor have been killed.