Israeli Troops Enter Southern Lebanese Village as Military Talks Begin at Pentagon

Israeli troops entered the southern Lebanese village of Dibbine early Friday, advancing deeper into the country. The move occurred as Lebanese and Israeli military officials began direct talks at the Pentagon. Israeli airstrikes killed at least six people on Friday.

Five died in strikes on the villages of Deir Qanoun al Nahr and Abbasiyeh, while a municipal policeman was killed in Ebba, state media reported.

A six-member Lebanese military delegation met with Israeli military officials in the first direct military talks between the two countries in decades. The Pentagon stated the talks were productive and focused on building practical frameworks for regional security and stability.

The Pentagon added that tangible outcomes from the discussions will inform negotiations with political leaders conducted by the State Department next week. Talks between senior officials from Israel and Lebanon have continued since last month. A senior Lebanese military official said the delegation, led by the army’s head of operations Brig.

George Rizkallah, aimed to make the ceasefire comprehensive. The official also said the delegation would request reactivation of the committee monitoring enforcement of the earlier U.S.-brokered ceasefire that halted the war between Israel and Hezbollah in late 2024.

Another Lebanese official said the delegation would seek full implementation of the ceasefire and an end to ongoing hostilities. Implementation would be followed by later talks on deploying the Lebanese army along the border and withdrawal of Israeli troops from southern Lebanon.

President Joseph Aoun’s office said he received a call Friday from U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. They discussed the situation in Lebanon and the latest developments in the Middle East. Aoun’s office said the president told Rubio that efforts should concentrate on implementing the ceasefire as the essential entry point for transitioning to any other issues.

The Israeli military issued several evacuation warnings for southern Lebanon on Friday, forcing hundreds of families to flee to safer areas further north. Israeli troops fought Hezbollah fighters inside the villages of Yohmor and Zawtar al-Sahrqieh near the city of Nabatieh after crossing the Litani River.

Large areas south of the river remain under Israeli military control despite the April ceasefire. Hezbollah said its members struck Israeli troops inside Yohmor. The two villages lie near the Crusader-built Beaufort castle about 15 kilometers from the Israeli border.