Israeli strikes in Beirut leave 14 dead

Israel's military launched an airstrike near Beirut on Thursday as Lebanese authorities said separate Israeli raids across southern Lebanon killed at least 14 people, including three children.

The strikes came as both sides prepare for US-brokered ceasefire talks in Washington early next week, the fourth round since the latest Israel-Hezbollah war erupted on March 2.

It was the second Israeli strike on South Beirut since an April 17 ceasefire announcement that has never been observed.

What did the Beirut strike hit and where?

Israel's military said it struck a target in the Beirut area without identifying it. A Lebanese military source told AFP that the strike hit an apartment in the Choueifat area, on the edge of Beirut's southern suburbs, a Hezbollah stronghold.

Footage showed smoke rising from the area, and an AFP correspondent reported that the first two floors of a residential building were damaged, with residents leaving in their vehicles.

What happened in southern Lebanon and how many were killed?

Lebanese authorities reported Israeli airstrikes on the cities of Tyre and Sidon early Thursday. Lebanon's health ministry said a strike in Tyre killed two Syrians, including a child, while a strike in Sidon killed five people, including two women.

A separate strike on a vehicle in Adloun killed six people, among them two children, their mother and their father. Lebanon's military also reported a soldier killed by a strike while driving in the Nabatieh region.

Why did Israel strike Tyre's historic district?

Israeli strikes hit Tyre's archaeological district, with footage showing a fireball and smoke rising from a building in the area.

Lebanese Foreign Minister Youssef Raggi said he had launched intensive diplomatic contacts after attacks struck historic neighbourhoods, churches, mosques and cultural landmarks.

A Tyre resident told AFP he believed Israel was targeting the city's history and civilisation, but said residents would not leave.

How has the ceasefire held since April?

The April 17 ceasefire between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah has never been observed, with both sides accusing each other of violations and justifying their attacks on that basis.

UNIFIL spokesperson Kandice Ardiel told AFP the agreement had initially reduced violence but that an intense escalation had followed in recent days. Wednesday alone saw around 670 projectiles fired, the highest level since the ceasefire announcement.

What is the diplomatic situation ahead of Washington talks?

Lebanon and Israel are preparing for talks between military delegations at the Pentagon on Friday, followed by broader US-brokered negotiations early next week.

Israel this week declared all areas south of Lebanon's Zahrani River, around 40 kilometres from the border, to be combat zones and ordered residents to evacuate. Israel has also said it is expanding ground operations in Lebanon, while Hezbollah claimed several rocket and drone attacks on Israeli troops in the south on Thursday.