Higher Islamic Shiite Council deputy head Sheikh Ali al-Khatib on Wednesday agreed that a “consensual president” must be elected for the country so that all Lebanese can support him in addressing the “heavy burden” of the ongoing Israeli war.

Israeli strikes have killed at least 3 people in the southern town of Qana, which has long been associated with civilian deaths after Israeli strikes during previous conflicts with Hezbollah.

The Health Ministry said 54 people were wounded in the strike and that rescue efforts were still underway.

Israeli warplanes targeted Wednesday Haret Hreik in Beirut's southern suburbs, for the first time in nearly a week.

The strikes on southern Beirut were the first in six days, and came after caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati said the United States had given him assurances that Israel would curb its strikes on the capital.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected the idea of a ceasefire in Lebanon that would leave Hezbollah close to his country's northern border, as the militant group threatened to widen its attacks.

Netanyahu's comments came as the United States ramped up pressure over Israel's conduct of the wars in Lebanon and Gaza, criticizing the recent bombing of Beirut and demanding that more aid reach the Palestinian territory.

The Israeli Defense Ministry said it is speeding up development of new technologies to counter drone attacks like the Hezbollah strike this week that killed four soldiers.

Israel’s air defenses have performed well during a year of war against enemies across the region, particularly against rocket and missile attacks. But at times, they have struggled against drones, with unmanned aerial vehicles responsible for several deadly attacks.

Hezbollah said its fighters targeted Israeli bulldozers and a tank near a south Lebanon border village on Tuesday, as the two sides face off at the frontier.

Hezbollah fighters targeted "three bulldozers and a Merkava tank on the outskirts of Ramia with guided missiles", causing a fire and casualties, the group said in a statement.

Hezbollah deputy chief Sheikh Naim Qassem warned Israelis on Tuesday that the only solution to the current war is a ceasefire, saying the Iran-backed group would not be defeated.

"Since the Israeli enemy targeted all of Lebanon, we have the right from a defensive position to target any place" in Israel, "whether the center, the north or the south", Qassem said in a televised speech, adding "I am telling the Israeli home front: the solution is a ceasefire... the resistance (Hezbollah) will not be defeated because this is its land".

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni warned on Tuesday against withdrawing U.N. peacekeepers from Lebanon at Israel’s unilateral request, as she announced she would visit Lebanon on Friday.

Meloni, who would be the first head of state or government to visit the country since an escalation between Israel and Lebanese militant group Hezbollah on September 23, told parliament that such a withdraw would be a "serious error".

Two United Nations agencies on Tuesday called for more funding to address "increasing" needs in Lebanon, where the war with Israel has displaced hundreds of thousands of people.

"We are preparing for the reality that the needs are increasing," said UNICEF deputy executive director Ted Chaiban and World Food Programme deputy executive director Carl Skau in a joint statement, adding: "We need additional funding, without conditionalities".

Hezbollah threatened Tuesday to attack targets across Israel and said it would not be defeated by ongoing intense bombardment of its strongholds and leadership.

In the latest exchanges during the conflict, the group said it launched a barrage of rockets towards the northern Israeli city of Haifa, while Israel carried out air strikes in several areas of Lebanon.