President Joseph Aoun held a phone call with U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday during which he thanked the U.S. leader for his "efforts" to secure a ceasefire with Israel, the Lebanese Presidency said.

The Israeli army is preparing for a ceasefire in Lebanon expected to begin at 7:00 P.M. local time, Israel's Haaretz newspaper quoted Israeli army officials as saying.

Ambassador of the United States to Lebanon Michel Issa has met with President Trump and Secretary of State Rubio, the U.S. Embassy said on the X platform.

The meeting took place Wednesday, a day after Lebanon and Israel held a high-level face-to-face meeting in Washington -- the first such negotiation since 1993.

The Israeli military carried out two strikes against a key bridge in the south of Lebanon on Thursday, destroying it, the state-run National News Agency (NNA) reported.

"Enemy aircraft carried out two consecutive strikes on the Qasmieh bridge, the last bridge between the Tyre and Sidon regions, completely destroying it," the NNA said.

Israeli troops were trying to advance from the occupied Shebaa farms into Debbine in south Lebanon after violent strikes and artillery shelling on the southern town.

The Israeli army also targeted Thursday Hebbarieh and Kfarshouba, while Hezbollah claimed responsibility for several drone and rocket attacks targeting soldiers in Khiam, Taybeh, Odaiseh, Bint Jbeil, Naqoura, Aitaroun, Bayada, Rob Tlatine and Qantara in south Lebanon and troops and military posts in north Israel including Ras al-Naqoura, Kfar Giladi, Nahariya, Carmiel, Peqi'in, Kiryat Shmona, Misgav Am, Hanita, Kfar Yuval and Margaliot.

Lebanon said Thursday it is "not aware" of any upcoming contact with Israel, after U.S. President Donald Trump said the leaders of Lebanon and Israel would speak on Thursday.

In Lebanon, those negotiations have drawn backlash from Hezbollah and its supporters. Al Akhbar, a Lebanese newspaper that is closely allied with Hezbollah, declared the government to be a "regime of shame" in its front-page report about Tuesday's talks in Washington.

Diplomatic efforts to halt hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah reached a fever pitch on Wednesday, with reports suggesting a potential ceasefire could be announced as early as tonight.

Information Minister Paul Morcos told Al-Arabiya's Al-Hadath channel that the collaborative efforts of President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam have "started to materialize."

Berri reportedly dispatches Khalil to Saudi Arabia

MP Ali Hassan Khalil has traveled to Riyadh as an envoy of Speaker Nabih Berri, Al-Jadeed TV reported.

A routine convoy transporting military and civilian peacekeepers, along with essential contractors, from Beirut to UNIFIL headquarters was halted by Israeli troops a few kilometers from its destination in Naqoura.

U.N.-marked vehicles were eventually allowed to proceed; however, local contractors were required to return to Beirut under security arrangements, despite the convoy having been fully deconflicted in advance, including their presence, UNIFIL said in a statement.

Hezbollah MP Hassan Fadlallah called Wednesday for a referendum, claiming that more than half of the Lebanese people are against the direct Lebanese-Israeli talks that took place Tuesday in Washington.

Fadlallah lashed out at Lebanese authorities who "are giving free concessions" to Israel, saying they now "have blood on their hands".