Diggers remove the rubble of buildings destroyed in 'Israeli' strikes as they look for survivors buried underneath in the southern Lebanese coastal city of Tyre on April 21, 2026.
'Israeli' strikes kill 5 in Lebanon, Beirut to seek truce extension
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'Israeli' strikes killed five people, including a journalist, and wounded another in Lebanon on Wednesday, despite an ongoing ceasefire that Beirut will request an extension for in upcoming talks with 'Israel' in Washington.
Ahead of the talks on Thursday, 'Israel' called on the Lebanese government to "work together" with it against Hezbollah.
The two governments, which do not have diplomatic relations with each other, are set to hold a second round of talks under US auspices on Thursday, in a bid to end more than six weeks of fighting between 'Israel' and Hezbollah that began on March 2.
Lebanon will request a one-month extension of the ceasefire during the meeting with 'Israel', a Lebanese official told AFP.
"Lebanon will request an extension of the truce for one month, an end of 'Israel's' bombing and destruction in the areas where it is present, and a commitment to the ceasefire," the Lebanese official told AFP, on condition of anonymity given the sensitive nature of the talks.
The 10-day ceasefire, which expires Sunday, was announced after an initial meeting last week.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, for his part, said that "contacts are underway to extend the ceasefire period".
'Israeli' Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said Israel does not have any "serious disagreements" with Lebanon.
"Unfortunately, Lebanon is a failed state, a state that is de facto under Iranian occupation through Hezbollah," he said.
Hezbollah, which is represented in the Lebanese cabinet and parliament, strongly opposes the direct talks with 'Israel' pushed by Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam.
- 'Serious disagreements' -
'Israeli' attacks on Lebanon have killed at least 2,454 people since the start of the war, according to Lebanese authorities.
On Wednesday, the state's scientific research council estimated that more than 50,000 housing units had been damaged or destroyed by the war.
'Israeli' forces remain in dozens of southern villages, behind what the army has called a "Yellow Line", described by the 'Israelis' as a 10-kilometre (six-mile) deep "security zone" along the border in southern Lebanon.
Despite the truce, 'Israel' is continuing its strikes in Lebanon.
Lebanese rescuers said an 'Israeli' strike killed journalist Amal Khalil on Wednesday.
Before rescuers had found her body, Lebanon's state media said 'Israeli' strikes had killed four people in the south and east of the country.
Khalil's employer, Lebanese daily newspaper Al-Akhbar, also announced her death and said fellow journalist Zeinab Faraj was wounded.
The health ministry said Faraj was transported to hospital.
Lebanon's Information Minister Paul Morcos said on X that Khalil "was targeted by the 'Israeli' army while carrying out her professional duty".
The 'Israeli' army said in a statement it had "identified two vehicles in southern Lebanon that had departed from a military structure used by Hezbollah".
"After identifying the individuals as violating the ceasefire understandings and posing an imminent threat, the 'Israeli' Air Force struck one of the vehicles. Subsequently, the structure from which the individuals had fled was also struck."
Hezbollah issued four statements on Wednesday saying it had struck 'Israeli' targets in south Lebanon, "in response to the 'Israeli' enemy's violation of the ceasefire".
French President Emmanuel Macron said on Wednesday that a second French soldier died "of the consequences of his wounds" suffered in a weekend ambush against UN peacekeepers in Lebanon blamed on Hezbollah, which has denied responsibility.
