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Israel restarts airstrikes on Hezbollah in Lebanon

The Israeli military renewed its airstrike campaign against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon on Wednesday as Israeli and Lebanese negotiators met in Rome for a second consecutive day of talks aimed at securing a lasting peace.

An Israeli airstrike in the southern Lebanese town of Tebnine killed one person and wounded 11 others after striking a cemetery, according to Lebanon’s Health Ministry. Another strike hit the nearby town of al-Mansouri, forcing residents to flee.

Earlier Wednesday, Israeli military Arabic-language spokesperson Lt. Col. Ella Waweya issued an evacuation warning for al-Mansouri, urging residents to leave immediately.

“For your safety, you are urged to evacuate from Al-Mansouri immediately and move at least 1,000 meters away,” Waweya wrote on social media. “Remaining in the vicinity of Hezbollah operatives, military infrastructure or weapons places your life at risk.”

The strikes came as Israeli and Lebanese officials continued negotiations in Rome over a permanent diplomatic settlement. The talks follow a framework agreement signed in late June, in which both countries affirmed “their mutual desire to live in security as neighboring sovereign states” and pledged to “conclusively end the conflict.”

The two sides remain divided over key issues. Lebanon is pressing for a full Israeli withdrawal from territory occupied since the ceasefire, while Israel is demanding the disarmament of Hezbollah, an Iranian proxy.

Since the June ceasefire, Israel has maintained control over portions of southern Lebanon and continued conducting airstrikes and ground operations against what it says are Hezbollah targets.

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