The Israeli military renewed its airstrike campaign against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon on Wednesday as Israeli and Lebanese negotiators met in Rome for a second consecutive day of talks aimed at securing a lasting peace.
An Israeli airstrike in the southern Lebanese town of Tebnine killed one person and wounded 11 others after striking a cemetery, according to Lebanon’s Health Ministry. Another strike hit the nearby town of al-Mansouri, forcing residents to flee.
Earlier Wednesday, Israeli military Arabic-language spokesperson Lt. Col. Ella Waweya issued an evacuation warning for al-Mansouri, urging residents to leave immediately.
“For your safety, you are urged to evacuate from Al-Mansouri immediately and move at least 1,000 meters away,” Waweya wrote on social media. “Remaining in the vicinity of Hezbollah operatives, military infrastructure, or weapons places your life at risk.”
The strikes came as Israeli and Lebanese officials continued negotiations in Rome over a permanent diplomatic settlement. The talks follow a framework agreement signed in late June, in which both countries affirmed “their mutual desire to live in security as neighboring sovereign states” and pledged to “conclusively end the conflict.”
The two sides remain divided over key issues. Lebanon is pressing for a full Israeli withdrawal from territory occupied since the ceasefire, while Israel is demanding the disarmament of Hezbollah, an Iranian proxy.
Wednesday’s meetings marked the seventh round of negotiations and are expected to focus on the Ali Taher area in southern Lebanon, where Israeli troops have continued demolition operations as part of what Israel describes as a security zone.
Since the June ceasefire, Israel has maintained control over portions of southern Lebanon and continued conducting airstrikes and ground operations against what it says are Hezbollah targets.
US plan to disarm Hezbollah put to test as Israel and Lebanon begin ‘pilot zone’ program
Negotiations have so far produced three “pilot zones” in southern Lebanon, where the Lebanese Armed Forces have assumed security responsibilities. The zones are intended to test whether the Lebanese military can prevent Hezbollah from reestablishing a presence and dismantle the group’s remaining infrastructure.
The latest conflict erupted in March after Hezbollah launched rockets into northern Israel, prompting an Israeli air campaign and ground offensive in southern Lebanon.