The Israeli military apologized Monday for killing three Lebanese soldiers in a strike in southern Lebanon, while a U.S. envoy arrived in Beirut for talks with Lebanese officials about potential conditions for a cease-fire between Israel and the Lebanon-based Hezbollah militant group.
An Israeli military spokesperson said Sunday’s attack hit a vehicle owned by the Lebanese army, and that Israel is not operating against the Lebanese military.
U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein’s visit to Beirut included planned talks with Najib Mikati, Lebanon’s caretaker prime minister, as well as Nabih Berri, the speaker of parliament.
In addition to efforts to halt the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, the United States is also pressuring Lebanese lawmakers to move forward with electing a president as part of a push to strengthen government institutions.
The Lebanese military has not played a part in the conflict, which has escalated during the past month with a widening of Israel’s airstrike campaign and Israeli troops invading southern Lebanon.
Israel says its goal is to push Hezbollah away from border areas in order to allow for the safe return of Israeli citizens to areas in northern Israel.
“Hezbollah has paid and will continue to pay a heavy price for its attacks on northern Israel and its rocket fire,” Foreign Minister Israel Katz said Monday on X. “We will keep striking the Iranian proxy until it collapses.”
Monday brought continued Israeli airstrikes in Beirut and in southern Lebanon. The Israeli military saying it targeted al-Qard al-Hassan, a Hezbollah-linked financial firm used to pay militants and buy arms, but which is also used by Lebanese civilians for financial services.
The United States has sanctioned al-Qard al-Hassan.
The Israeli campaign in southern Lebanon has also brought complaints from the U.N. peacekeeping force UNIFIL about Israel’s conduct.
The latest incident included what UNIFIL said was an IDF bulldozer intentionally destroying a UNIFIL observation tower and perimeter fence.
“The IDF has repeatedly demanded that UNIFIL vacate its positions along the Blue Line and has deliberately damaged UN positions,” UNIFIL said in a statement late Sunday. “Despite the pressure being exerted on the mission and our troop-contributing countries, peacekeepers remain in all positions. We will continue to undertake our mandated tasks to monitor and report.”
Iran-backed Hezbollah launched aerial attacks against Israel following the October 2023 attack by Hamas militants on southern Israel. Hamas killed about 1,200 people and captured about 250 others.
Israel’s counteroffensive in the Gaza Strip has killed more than 42,600 Palestinians, according to the health ministry in Gaza. The ministry does not differentiate between militants and civilians in its count.
The United States, United Kingdom, European Union and others have designated Hezbollah and Hamas as terrorist organizations.
Some information for this story was provided by The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters.
