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Israel said connected Thursday (May 7, 2026) it had killed a commandant of Hezbollah’s elite Radwan unit successful an airstrike connected Beirut a time earlier, the archetypal Israeli onslaught on the Lebanese capital since a ceasefire agreed past month.
The Israeli subject said the commandant was killed when Israel struck the confederate suburbs of Beirut. There was nary contiguous confirmation from Hezbollah. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz announced the attack successful a associated connection connected Wednesday (May 6, 2026).
The onslaught has raised unit connected the ceasefire that had halted Israeli attacks connected Beirut, adjacent arsenic Israeli forces person remained deployed successful areas southbound of the Litani River and continued to transportation retired strikes successful confederate Lebanon.
Iran state Hezbollah has responded to those strikes by firing and launching equipped drones towards Israeli soldiers.
The Lebanon ceasefire has underpinned a broader truce successful the wider Iran war, with a halt to Israeli strikes successful Lebanon being a cardinal Iranian request successful Tehran’s negotiations with Washington.
Israel earlier connected Wednesday (May 6, 2026) called for residents to evacuate respective villages northbound of the Litani River, which could correspond an enlargement of Israel’s portion of action.
Talks betwixt Israel and Lebanon person continued, but person mostly been astatine the ambassador level.
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said on Wednesday (May 6, 2026) that it was premature to speech of immoderate high-level gathering betwixt Lebanon and Israel.
High level meetings premature
Prime Minister Salam, successful comments reported by Lebanon’s National News Agency connected Wednesday (May 6, 2026), said shoring up a ceasefire would beryllium the ground for immoderate caller negotiations betwixt Lebanese and Israeli authorities envoys successful Washington.
Washington past period hosted 2 meetings betwixt the Israeli and Lebanese ambassadors to the United States. Hezbollah powerfully objects to the contacts.
Since Hezbollah triggered the warfare by opening occurrence successful enactment of Iran connected March 2, the Lebanese medication led by Mr. Salam and President Joseph Aoun has initiated Beirut’s highest-level contacts with Israel successful decades, reflecting heavy divisions betwixt the Shi’ite Muslim radical and its Lebanese opponents.
Announcing a three-week extension of the Lebanon-Israel ceasefire connected April 23, U.S. President Donald Trump said helium looked guardant to hosting Mr. Netanyahu and Mr. Aoun successful the adjacent future, and that helium saw “a large chance” the countries would scope a bid woody this year.
Trading blows
Israel has carved retired a self-declared information portion extending arsenic heavy arsenic 10 km (6 miles) into confederate Lebanon, saying it aims to support bluish Israel from Hezbollah militants embedded successful civilian areas.
Lebanon’s Health Ministry said connected Wednesday (May 6, 2026) an Israeli airstrike killed 4 people, including 2 women and an aged antheral successful the municipality of Zelaya successful confederate Lebanon.
The Israeli subject said Hezbollah had launched explosive drones and rockets towards Israeli soldiers successful confederate Lebanon, injuring 2 Israeli soldiers.
It besides said the Israeli aerial force intercepted a hostile craft earlier it crossed into Israel, and announced strikes connected Hezbollah infrastructure successful several areas successful Lebanon.
More than 2,700 radical person been killed successful the warfare successful Lebanon since March 2, the Health Ministry says.
The Israeli subject says Hezbollah has fired hundreds of rockets and drones astatine Israel since March 2. Israel has announced 17 soldiers person been killed successful confederate Lebanon, on with 2 civilians successful bluish Israel.
