Israel strikes Hezbollah in Lebanon as Rome peace talks continue

The Israeli military renewed its airstrike campaign against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon on Wednesday as Israeli and Lebanese negotiators met in Rome for a second consecutive day of talks aimed at securing a lasting peace.

An Israeli airstrike in the southern Lebanese town of Tebnine killed one person and wounded 11 others after striking a cemetery, according to Lebanon's Health Ministry.

The strikes came as Israeli and Lebanese officials continued negotiations in Rome over a permanent diplomatic settlement.

Lebanon is pressing for a full Israeli withdrawal from territory occupied since the ceasefire, while Israel is demanding the disarmament of Hezbollah, an Iranian proxy.

The talks follow a framework agreement signed in late June, in which both countries affirmed "their mutual desire to live in security as neighboring sovereign states" and pledged to "conclusively end the conflict."

The two sides remain divided over key issues.

Wednesday's meetings marked the seventh round of negotiations and are expected to focus on the Ali Taher area in southern Lebanon, where Israeli troops have continued demolition operations as part of what Israel describes as a security zone.

Negotiations have so far produced three "pilot zones" in southern Lebanon, where the Lebanese Armed Forces have assumed security responsibilities.