The Israeli army is "preparing to expand the ground operation in Lebanon, in light of Hezbollah's ongoing violations," Israel's Channel 12 reported on Monday, three days before key Lebanese-Israeli talks in Washington.

"The preparatory actions on the ground are intended to enable the political echelon to make a decision," Channel 12 said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that Israel has destroyed "more than 90%" of Hezbollah's rockets and ballistic missiles, but noted that that "still leaves them with thousands of rockets and some ballistic missiles."

Lebanese leaders urged the U.S. ambassador to Beirut to pressure Israel to halt its attacks as it pounded the country on Monday despite a truce in the Israel-Hezbollah war.

Lebanese authorities on Monday also raised the overall death toll from Israeli strikes since March 2 to 2,869 people.

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said overnight that his visit to Damascus aimed to elevate the level of cooperation between Lebanon and Syria and strengthen relations based on mutual respect and non-interference in each other's affairs.

He noted that the era of Syrian tutelage over Lebanon and Hezbollah's intervention in Syria had ended.

The Lebanese army said that it has arrested an Iraqi national for impersonating an Iraqi security official in Lebanon, the second alleged high-level imposter caught in recent months.

A military source told AFP that the man had managed to network with Lebanese security and intelligence officials, telling them he worked at Iraq's Beirut embassy.

Israel's military said Monday that one of its soldiers had died in fighting near the border with Lebanon and three were wounded in a drone attack in the south, bringing its losses to 18 personnel since the war with Hezbollah began in early March.

Sergeant Major Alexander Glovanyov, 47, "fell during combat near the Israel-Lebanon border", the military said.

Israel kept up strikes on south and east Lebanon on Monday despite a ceasefire, targeting Jmayjmeh, al-Qlayleh, Harees, Arnoun, Jarjou', Sojod, Toul, Yohmor Shqif, Kfartebnit, Kfardounine, Shoukine, Ebba, Kfarjoz, Zebdine, Zebqine, Yater, Nabatieh, Safad al-Battikh and Kfar Remman.

Israeli artillery meanwhile shelled the southern towns of Yohmor, Arnoun, Kfartebnit, Nabatieh, Mayfadoun, Majdalzoun, Jebshit, Ali Taher and Qalaway.

European Union crisis management chief Hadja Lahbib on Saturday urged increased humanitarian access in south Lebanon, where Israel has kept up strikes and Hezbollah has been launching attacks despite a ceasefire.

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa met Lebanon's Prime Minister Nawaf Salam in Damascus on Saturday on a visit tackling issues including security, transport and energy.

Israel carried out strikes across Lebanon on Saturday, killing at least nine people in the south according to authorities, with raids also targeting a highway not far from Beirut outside of Hezbollah's traditional strongholds.