Lebanon and Israel are expected to hold talks on extending the ceasefire in Washington.
Listen Listen (3 mins) Save Click here to share on social media share-nodes Share facebook x whatsapp-stroke copylink google Add Al Jazeera on Google info Smoke rises from the site of an Israeli air strike that targeted the southern Lebanese village of Deir El Zahrani on May 13, 2026 [AFP] By Edna Mohamed and News Agencies Published On 14 May 2026 14 May 2026 Israel has ramped up its attacks on southern Lebanon, killing two people and issuing several forced displacement orders as the two sides prepare for United States-brokered talks on extending a ceasefire.
Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA) reported on Thursday morning that Israeli warplanes targeted the Ezzedine residential project in the town of Srifa, killing two people.
Recommended Stories list of 3 items list 1 of 3 Trump faces slew of ‘bad options’ on Iran as diplomacy falters list 2 of 3 Israeli attacks on Gaza increased by 35% since Iran ceasefire: Report list 3 of 3 Bahrain-led UN resolution on Strait of Hormuz gains support of 112 nations end of list The Israeli army announced in a post on Telegram that it had begun targeting alleged Hezbollah infrastructure sites in several areas in southern Lebanon.
Earlier, the Israeli army’s Arabic language spokesperson, Avichay Adraee, announced on X the forced evacuation orders for the towns and villages of Libbaya, Sahmar, Taffahata, Kafr Malek, Yohmor (Bekaa), Ain Tineh, Houmin al-Fawqa and Mazraat Sina.
NNA reported that one person was injured following a raid by an Israeli drone near the vocational school between the towns of Breqa and Zrarieh.
An air strike was also reported on the town of Ain al-Tineh in the Western Bekaa.
Reporting from Beirut, Al Jazeera’s Rory Challands said in the past few days Israel has launched one of its “most intense periods of aerial bombardment in weeks”.
“There have been many individual strikes – usually by drones – on cars and motorbikes. Several of these have happened on the main coastal highway that leads south from Beirut,” he said.
According to Lebanon’s Ministry of Public Health on Wednesday, at least 2,896 people have been killed in Israeli attacks since the conflict resumed in early March.
Advertisement At the same time, the Israeli army announced on Telegram that a drone launched by Hezbollah had fallen in Israeli territory near the shared border, injuring several people who were evacuated to hospital for treatment.
Israel-Lebanon talks Representatives from both sides are expected to meet in Washington, DC, on Thursday for a new round of talks aimed at extending the ceasefire, which is scheduled to expire on Sunday.
“The discussions are controversial here in Lebanon. One of the reasons is that Hezbollah is not at the table. Hezbollah doesn’t want these talks to go ahead at all,” Challands explained.
“It says any direct discussions between Lebanon and Israel are basically capitulation. It wants first a full-on ceasefire, for Israel to have withdrawn from the country, for hundreds of thousands of displaced people to return to their homes, and for reconstruction to have started,” he said, adding that the Lebanese government, however, believes these points can be discussed during the talks with Israel.
