An Israeli airstrike on the village of Mashghara in eastern Lebanon's Bekaa Valley killed 12 people late Monday, according to state media. The strike came as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered an acceleration of operations against Hezbollah.
"I have ordered an even greater acceleration of our operations," Netanyahu said in a video statement, as an Israeli security official confirmed the military had called up an additional battalion to Lebanon.
The intensified attacks occur just days before Lebanese and Israeli delegations are set to meet in Washington for direct talks. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun defended the talks, calling a complete Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon "non-negotiable."
Hezbollah continues to attack Israeli troops and northern towns, vowing to fight until Israel halts its airstrikes and withdraws. The group has boasted of using new fiber-optic drones that have challenged Israeli defenses.
The Lebanese Health Ministry reports at least 3,185 people killed and over 9,600 wounded since the conflict began on March 2, when Hezbollah fired rockets into northern Israel in solidarity with Iran. More than one million people in Lebanon have been displaced.