The Israeli military warned Lebanese civilians living south of the Zahrani river to evacuate the region Sunday, warning that it was stepping up operations against Hezbollah.

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam has denounced what he called a dangerous Israeli escalation in the south, urging an immediate ceasefire and insisting that a "scorched-earth policy" would not ensure Israel's security.

In a televised address, Salam also defended his government's direct negotiations with Israel -- which Iran-backed Hezbollah opposes -- saying that the talks were the "least costly path" for Lebanon.

The Trump administration has extended protections shielding about 11,000 Lebanese from deportation, allowing them to stay and work in the United States for another six months.

The decision, announced Thursday by the Department of Homeland Security, marked a rare reprieve for people protected by temporary measures which have been harshly criticized by Republicans. The extension comes amid ongoing fighting in southern Lebanon between Israeli troops and Hezbollah fighters.

Fifteen children have been killed in Lebanon and 62 injured over the last seven days, the United Nations said Friday, despite the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah.

Lebanon is seeking an international force to replace a decades-long United Nations peacekeeping mission whose mandate ends this year following U.S. and Israeli pressure, even as the latest Israel-Hezbollah war continues.

Military officials from Israel and Lebanon held "productive" talks in Washington on Friday, a U.S. official said, adding that the meeting will complement upcoming diplomatic discussions.

Hezbollah said on Saturday it fired rockets at the northern Israeli settlement of Kiryat Shmona, as exchanges of fire between the two sides have intensified despite Lebanon-Israel negotiations.

Israel's military issued evacuation warnings on Saturday for residents of seven villages in southern Lebanon, after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israeli forces had pushed deeper into the country.

Speaker Nabih Berri said that what concerns him at the present time and what he is intervening in is "preventing any recklessness or internal problems."

Hezbollah has again rejected direct talks between Lebanon and Israel on the eve of military negotiations between the two sides.