Israeli Strikes Kill Lebanese Civilian Near Tyre; Hezbollah Fires Rockets During Lebanon-Israel Talks

# Israeli Strikes Target Hezbollah in Southern Lebanon Israeli strikes occurred in southern Lebanon overnight and into Wednesday, with the military striking more than 200 Hezbollah targets. Smoke rose over the coastal city of Tyre following the attacks.

An Israeli drone struck a car overnight a few hundred meters from Tyre’s city center, killing 19-year-old Ghadir Baalbaki, who was sitting outside her house nearby.

Mourners gathered on Wednesday to bury Ghadir Baalbaki in a temporary cemetery for those killed during the war in Tyre. Shattered buildings, mounds of rubble, and debris-strewn streets are visible across Tyre. Residents moved cautiously along roads lined with wreckage in Tyre.

Mariam Hamoud said, "We prayed maghrib (the Islamic evening prayer) and went and sat outside. " Mariam Hamoud said, "I hugged Ghadir because I thought she had fainted.

Talks Mark Rare Direct Meeting Historic talks between Lebanese and Israeli officials took place in Washington on Tuesday.

Tuesday’s talks marked a rare face-to-face meeting between Lebanese and Israeli officials. Hezbollah opposes the talks, viewing them as a concession to the Israelis while they continue to bomb the country. The Lebanese government has been critical of Hezbollah for dragging the country into another war.

Israel targets the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militant group. Israel’s military has periodically issued warnings telling residents of wide swathes of southern Lebanon to flee. Thousands of residents have stayed in southern Lebanon.

Tyre was viewed by many displaced families as a relative refuge from the heaviest fighting in areas closer to the Israeli border. Many families are unable to bury relatives in hometowns closer to the front lines.

Escalation Follows Hezbollah Rocket Fire Hezbollah fired several rockets towards northern Israel, initiating the latest escalation.

U.S. and Israel launched their war on Iran just days before Hezbollah fired rockets. Israel responded to Hezbollah rockets with an intense aerial campaign and ground invasion. Israeli strikes in Beirut have eased since last week’s 10-minute bombardment without warning.

Last week’s 10-minute bombardment without warning killed over 350 people across Lebanon. More than 2,000 people have been killed in Israeli strikes in Lebanon, according to Lebanon’s health ministry. Over one million Lebanese people have been displaced.