President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam have begun forming the Lebanese delegation for direct negotiations with Israel, a Western diplomatic source revealed to Al-Jadeed TV.

Israeli strikes targeted Thursday several towns in south Lebanon including Haris, Kafra, Alma al-Shaab-Naqoura, Deir Ntar, Barish, Yater, Qantara, Qaaqaiyyet al-Jesser, Teffahta, Qana, al-Sultanieh, Taybeh, Qabrikha and Kfardounin.

In east Lebanon, Israeli strikes targeted Qsarnaba and Douris after warning residents to evacuate.

Three people were killed and a child was wounded in an Israeli attack in Aramoun, a town about 10 kilometers south of Beirut and outside of Hezbollah's traditional strongholds.

The strike hit an apartment in a residential area.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said Thursday that he had ordered the military to prepare for expanding operations in Lebanon.

"The Prime Minister and I have instructed the IDF to prepare for expanding IDF operations in Lebanon and for restoring quiet and security to the northern communities," Katz was quoted as saying in a statement.