BBC:
A senior official in the Lebanese president’s office has told the BBC that Lebanon will participate in direct negotiations with Israel next week only if there is a ceasefire in place beforehand.
It comes after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu authorised direct talks following what he said were “repeated requests from the Lebanese government”.
A US State Department official said it would host a meeting next week in Washington “to discuss ongoing ceasefire negotiations” between the two countries.
Israeli air strikes have continued to hit Lebanon, with 21 people killed in the latest attacks, Lebanese authorities say. Hezbollah has also fired more rockets at several places in Israel.
Lebanese authorities said the deaths included seven members of the same family in the town of Abbassieh and 11 people in Zrarieh. A medical centre in Burj Qalaway was also hit, killing two people, while a drone strike targeted an ambulance in Toul, with no casualties reported.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it struck about 10 rocket launchers on Thursday night which it said had fired on northern Israel. It said it was continuing to locate and destroy more.
Hezbollah also fired rockets at Israel overnight, triggering sirens across the country. One was fired at the southern coastal city of Ashdod – the furthest Hezbollah has targeted in the current fighting – but was intercepted, the IDF said.
The group said it fired rockets at Kiryat Shmona, near the Israel-Lebanon border, at 10:00 (06:00 BST) on Friday, and Misgav Am in the Upper Galilee region of northern Israel. There are no reports of casualties.
It said it was acting in response to what it described as Israel’s “violation” of the US-Iran ceasefire agreement.
