Israel steps up strikes on Lebanon and Hezbollah attacks continue as talks loom

Israeli air strikes and Hezbollah rocket attacks intensified over the weekend in southern Lebanon and northern Israel, even as both sides indicated the conflict would persist despite ongoing diplomatic efforts. Lebanon’s health ministry reported that since fighting resumed on March 2 following a Hezbollah attack on Israel, Israeli actions have resulted in 2,055 fatalities, with 167 occurring since Friday. Conversely, Israeli authorities state that 12 Israeli soldiers and two civilians have been killed by Hezbollah during the same period. The hostilities have continued despite a ceasefire between the US and Iran, which Israel maintains does not apply to its campaign in Lebanon. Lebanese, Israeli, and US officials are scheduled to hold discussions in Washington on Tuesday. The Lebanese president’s office informed the BBC that these talks would focus on conditions for a ceasefire, potentially leading to formal negotiations if an agreement is reached. However, Hezbollah has rejected this initiative, organizing protests in central Beirut where supporters displayed Hezbollah flags and images of the group’s late leader, Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed by Israel in 2024. Israel’s embassy in Washington has stated its refusal to discuss a ceasefire with Hezbollah, asserting that the talks will mark the beginning of formal peace negotiations. Among the recent victims of the weekend bombardment was Taleen Saeed, just under two years old. She had survived a strike on her family home last Wednesday but was killed when another strike occurred during her father’s funeral. Her seven-year-old sister, Aline, sustained severe burns and was hospitalized, wrapped in bloodied gauze. Their grandfather, Nasser Saeed, 63, narrowly escaped the strike. “This isn’t humanity. This is a war crime,” Saeed told Reuters, questioning the global response to Israeli child casualties versus Lebanese. On Sunday, Lebanon’s Prime Minister Nawaf Salam affirmed ongoing efforts to end the conflict despite its escalation. “We will work to stop this war and obtain the Israeli withdrawal from all of our territory,” Salam declared in a televised address, adding, “We are continuing our efforts… by negotiating to stop the war.” Meanwhile, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu adopted a more defiant stance during a visit to Israeli troops who have entered southern Lebanon. “The war continues, including in the security zone in Lebanon,” he stated, crediting the zone with thwarting an invasion threat from Lebanon. Israel previously announced the creation of a security buffer zone, extending eight to ten kilometers (five to six miles) into Lebanese territory, citing its necessity to protect Israeli communities from Hezbollah attacks. Heavy Israeli air strikes were reported across dozens of towns in southern Lebanon on Sunday, including Bint Jbeil, a site of intense fighting during the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah war. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) claimed troops killed over 20 Hezbollah fighters operating from a hospital compound in Bint Jbeil. Lebanon’s health ministry denied this, accusing Israel of targeting civilians and medical facilities. The weekend strikes also hit emergency responders, killing a Lebanese Red Cross rescuer. The organization reported its team was “directly targeted by an Israeli drone” during a humanitarian mission. The BBC has sought comment from the IDF. This marks the second killing of a Red Cross volunteer in recent weeks. Lebanese authorities state that over 80 rescuers and medical personnel have been killed in Israeli strikes since the war began. The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (Unifil) also reported confrontations with Israeli troops, stating that Israeli tanks rammed two peacekeeping vehicles on separate occasions, causing significant damage. The IDF responded that Unifil had not coordinated its movements with Israeli forces in advance and that it was not acting against Unifil or Lebanese civilians. Civilian suffering continues to mount, with approximately 1.2 million people displaced across Lebanon and tens of thousands in northern Israel, as the conflict enters another week of sustained fighting. #LebanonConflict #IsraelStrikes #HezbollahAttacks #MiddleEastCrisis #CeasefireTalks #HumanitarianCrisis #WarCrimes #Displacement #UNIFIL #RegionalTensions