Israeli Strikes Wound 37 in Southern Lebanon

Israel carried out new strikes in southern Lebanon on Friday that its military said targeted Hezbollah infrastructure, wounding at least 37 people as Lebanese and Israeli negotiators entered a second day of U.S.-brokered peace talks in Washington. m.

local time. Lebanon's health ministry reported that the attacks in the Tyre district injured 37 people, including six hospital personnel, nine women and four children. An Israeli soldier was also killed in southern Lebanon, the military said, bringing the number of Israeli soldiers killed in clashes with Hezbollah since early March to 19.

The Israeli military issued evacuation warnings for five towns and villages in and around Tyre before the strikes, followed by warnings for five additional towns across the south. It later stated that it had begun striking Hezbollah infrastructure sites in the area of Tyre.

An AFP correspondent reported a series of strikes, two of them near Tyre city, while state media said another targeted a centre run by a local NGO near a hospital.

A truce between Israel and Hezbollah has been in place since April 17, but it has not stopped the fighting. Hundreds have been killed in strikes since the agreement took effect, with both sides accusing the other of violations. Lebanese authorities say Israeli attacks since March have killed more than 2,900 people in Lebanon, including more than 400 since the truce began.

The Israeli military also reported that a civilian contractor was killed. Lebanon's official National News Agency reported other strikes on locations in the south not included in the Israeli evacuation warnings. Hezbollah claimed several attacks on Israeli troops in at least six southern Lebanese towns.

United Nations humanitarian coordinator for Lebanon Imran Riza condemned the "unacceptable" toll from continued attacks. He described the reality on the ground as "deeply alarming," with airstrikes and demolitions continuing daily and taking a heavy toll on civilians and civilian infrastructure.

“Diplomatic efforts now offer a critical opportunity to stop the violence.”

Lebanon hopes the negotiations will produce an extension of the ceasefire and an Israeli commitment to halt its attacks. The truce is set to expire on Sunday if no extension is agreed. The U.S. described the first day of talks on Thursday as positive, though neither Lebanon nor Israel has publicly commented on the substance.

Lebanon was drawn into the wider Middle East conflict on March 2 when Hezbollah fired rockets at Israel in retaliation for the killing of Iran's supreme leader. Israeli troops have since invaded parts of southern Lebanon and carried out widespread demolitions of villages in recent weeks.

Israel is pressing Lebanon to disarm Hezbollah, which rejects direct negotiations between the two countries. A resident near one targeted building told reporters it housed displaced people who had fled their towns earlier in the war and was adjacent to a hotel also sheltering displaced families.

"There are only women, children and the elderly here," the resident said. " The negotiating teams are led by veteran political figures from each side. Lebanon is under heavy pressure from both the U.S. and Israel to take steps against Hezbollah. Officials from the group have described Lebanon's participation in the direct talks as part of a broader conspiracy against the country's sovereignty.

Riza expressed hope that the Washington talks would lead toward a political solution even as he highlighted the daily toll of violence. The strikes on Friday occurred even as diplomats sought to build on what the U.S. called a constructive opening round the previous day.