'Israel' steps up Lebanon strikes as Netanyahu escalates offensive

The 'Israeli' army intensified strikes in southern Lebanon on Monday, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had ordered the military to escalate its offensive in an effort to "crush" Hezbollah.

The airstrikes come as the United States and Iran seek to finalise the terms of an agreement to end the Middle East conflict, which could include the Lebanon front, where 'Israel' and Hezbollah have waged war since March 2.

Despite a ceasefire that came into effect on April 17, 'Israel' and Hezbollah have continued to exchange fire on a near-daily basis.

"I have ordered an even greater acceleration of our operations," Netanyahu said in a video statement posted on his Telegram channel.

"It is true that they are attacking us with drones, including fibre-optic drones, but we have teams working on countermeasures and we will solve this issue... We will intensify our blows, increase our firepower, and we will crush them."

The 'Israeli' air force carried out successive strikes in the Bekaa valley in eastern Lebanon on Monday evening, according to Lebanon's National News Agency (NNA).

Dozens of 'Israeli' strikes earlier targeted several towns and villages in southern Lebanon in the early hours, killing three people in two cars and on a motorcycle, NNA reported.

'Israeli' airstrikes then targeted several towns near the ancient city of Tyre, according to the state-run agency.

Those strikes came after 'Israel' issued evacuation orders for 10 villages, accusing Hezbollah of breaching the truce.

"In light of Hezbollah's violation of the ceasefire agreement, the Israel Defense Forces are compelled to operate against it with force," the military's Arabic-language spokesman Colonel Avichay Adraee said in a social media post, listing the names of the villages.

Hezbollah, a Lebanese movement, has regularly launched drone attacks against 'Israeli' forces inside Lebanese territory and across the border, including several on Monday.

The group late Monday said it had targeted three barracks and a military post in northern 'Israel' "in response to the violation of the ceasefire" by 'Israel'.

According to Lebanese authorities, 'Israeli' strikes since early March have killed more than 3,100 people.

The 'Israeli' military also announced on Monday that a soldier had been killed the previous day in southern Lebanon.

That brings the number of 'Israeli' soldiers killed since the outbreak of hostilities with Hezbollah to 23. One civilian contractor has also been killed.

- 'Buildings must fall' -

Two far-right ministers called for an expansion of 'Israel's' military campaign in Lebanon.

"There is an urgent need to put an end to the threat posed by Hezbollah's explosive drones," Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who lives in an occupied West Bank settlement, said on Telegram.

"For every explosive drone strike, 10 buildings must fall in Beirut."

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir called for a "return to intensive warfare" and for "taking control" of the Zahrani River, located further north than the Litani River.

The 'Israeli' army, which controls a strip of land approximately 10 kilometres (six miles) deep in Lebanese territory, has designated the Litani River as the boundary of the area to be cleared of Hezbollah fighters.

On Monday, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun defended his decision to hold talks with 'Israel', adding that his demand for a complete 'Israeli' withdrawal from southern Lebanon was "non-negotiable".

Lebanon and 'Israel', which do not have diplomatic relations, are holding another round of negotiations in Washington on June 2 and 3, preceded by a meeting of military officials from both countries at the Pentagon on May 29.

Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem reiterated his opposition to direct negotiations between Lebanon and 'Israel' on Sunday evening and repeated his refusal to have his movement to disarm.