Dubai: Israel’s military said on Friday that its forces carried out overnight strikes on targets across southern Lebanon, while Hezbollah reported heavy fighting in the region.
According to Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency, at least 16 people were killed in the Israeli airstrikes.
The developments came as scheduled talks in Switzerland between Iran and the United States, aimed at reaching a lasting resolution to the Iran war, were postponed.
Israel’s occupation of parts of southern Lebanon and its ongoing military operations against the Iran-backed Hezbollah group have remained major points of contention in the negotiations.
Israel has argued that it needs to retain control of the territory and maintain operational freedom against Hezbollah, which it says has been carrying out attacks on northern Israel.
The postponement of the talks followed a report by Al-Mayadeen, a pan-Arab satellite channel aligned with Hezbollah, which said Iran had delayed sending its delegation to Switzerland because of Israel’s continuing military campaign in Lebanon.
