Israeli strikes on south and east kill at least 3, despite 'truce'

The Israeli army carried out airstrikes in south Lebanon on Thursday, hours after Israel and Lebanon agreed to implement a ceasefire.

An Israeli airstrike targeted a vehicle on the Zefta road, while other strikes targeted Kfartebnit, Shehour, Bestat, Kfar Remman, Tebnine, Maaroub, Zawtar, Shoukin, Kafra, Zebdine, Baraashit, Srifa, Harees, Dweir, Deir al-Zahrani, and al-Mansouri.

In the country's west, Israeli strikes targeted Sohmor and Qelya in Beqaa, killing three people and wounding several others.

Hezbollah meanwhile claimed attacks on Israeli troops near the Beaufort castle and in the southern towns of Debbine, al-Qantara and Yohmor-Shqif.

The group also said it intercepted a drone over south Lebanon.

The Israeli military reported on Thursday that air raid sirens were sounded in northern Israel, saying one incident was resolved and another found to be a false alarm.

"Following the sirens that sounded a short while ago regarding a hostile aircraft infiltration in the area of Kfar Yuval, a suspicious aerial target was identified. The incident has concluded. No injuries were reported," the Israeli military wrote on social media, adding that another alert in the Arab al-Aramshe area was a "false identification".

The army's Arabic-language spokesperson ordered residents of villages and towns south of the Zahrani river to remain north of the river.

Israel's defense minister said Thursday that the Israeli army will, "at this stage, continue its fire and ground operations, remain in the security zone in Lebanon up to the Yellow Line -- including in the Beaufort area -- and without the return of the population, while continuing to dismantle terrorist infrastructure on the ground."

- Washington talks -

Israel and Lebanon agreed Wednesday to renew their fragile ceasefire and create a number of “pilot” security zones inside Lebanon from which Hezbollah militants would be banned.

In a joint statement released after a fourth round of U.S.-mediated talks at the State Department, the two sides said the ceasefire “is contingent on a complete cessation of Hezbollah fire and the evacuation of all Hezbollah operatives” from areas south of the Litani River, which is roughly 30 kilometers north of the northern Israel-Lebanon border. It was not immediately clear how the security zones would be established but the agreement calls for the Lebanese army to take full control of those areas.

“These steps will enable progress towards a comprehensive peace and security agreement,” the statement said. “All countries reaffirmed that the future of the relationship between Israel and Lebanon must be decided by the two sovereign governments. They rejected any attempt, by any state or non-state actor, to hold Lebanon’s future hostage.”

Hezbollah is not part of the Israel-Lebanon talks, which have been held at the ambassadorial level in Washington since the beginning of last month.

“All parties condemned Iran’s attacks on countries in the region, and ongoing activities that undermine stability throughout the Middle East, whether through support for proxies and all other acts of aggression,” the statement said.

A new round of discussions will be held during the week of June 22 with an eye toward “reaching a comprehensive agreement.”