Live updates: Iran war news, Trump says there is ‘no time frame’ on Iran war and denies midterms driving decisions
Israeli forces killed at least four people in parts of southern Lebanon on Wednesday, Lebanese state media reported, in separate strikes ahead of talks to extend a fragile truce agreement.
An Israeli drone attack on the town of Yahmar al-Shaqif, in the southern Nabatieh district, killed two people and injured others, according to the Lebanese National News Agency (NNA). Farther south, two people were killed in the village of Tiri, NNA said.
Social media photos showed thick clouds of gray smoke tumbling over green fields in the town of Qantara, following what NNA said was an Israeli bombing.
CNN has reached out to the Israeli military for comment.
Over the past week, the Israeli military and the Iranian-backed militant group Hezbollah have launched attacks ahead of a second round of Israeli-Lebanese ambassador-level talks to extend the fragile deal. Earlier Wednesday, Israel intercepted a Hezbollah drone flying toward soldiers in the south. Israeli forces have bulldozed homes, demolished residential neighborhoods and destroyed key infrastructure elsewhere, NNA said.
US President Donald Trump ordered a “10-day ceasefire” between Israel and Lebanon to take effect at 5 p.m. ET on April 16 — midnight in Lebanon.
The six-point US-led plan stated that Israel would “preserve its right to take all necessary measures in self-defense” and called on the Lebanese government to prevent Hezbollah “from carrying out attacks, operations or hostile activities against Israeli targets.”
Since then, the Israeli military has killed at least six people in Lebanon, according to a CNN tally of figures reported by NNA. Israeli forces have also fired on people who they say approached a “forward defense line” in southern Lebanon. Lebanese authorities have not reported on the total number of people killed there.
In that time, two Israeli soldiers have also been killed in southern Lebanon, according to the Israeli military.
