The Israeli army carried out at least five airstrikes against the southern neighborhoods of the Lebanese capital Beirut, controlled by the group “Hezbollah”, reports *Reuters*. Earlier in the day, the Israeli military issued warnings via social media, designating 12 sites in the area as targets for upcoming strikes. In the messages, residents were warned that they were in the vicinity of Hezbollah sites. Soon after the warnings, loud explosions were heard, BTA quoted.
According to the available information, there were no reports of casualties as a result of the attacks. Many residents in the affected southern neighborhoods have evacuated since Israeli bombardment began in September. Over the past seven weeks, Israel has dealt serious blows to Hezbollah, killing a number of the organization's top leaders and destroying a large part of Beirut's southern neighborhoods.
In a meeting with Israel's General Staff, newly appointed Defense Minister Israel Katz said that fighting in Lebanon will continue until Israel achieves all of its objectives. “Israel will not agree to any agreement that does not guarantee our right to fight terrorism and achieve our goals in Lebanon – disarming “Hezbollah”, withdrawing it beyond the Litani River and safely returning the residents of our northern border to their homes”, Katz said.
Israel's foreign minister, Gideon Sa'ar, also said that ceasefire talks were making some progress, but stressed that the conflict with “Hezbollah” it's not over yet. According to him, the main challenge before any agreement will be its implementation in practice. “Hezbollah“ for its part, it expressed readiness for a prolonged conflict and is intensifying rocket fire at Israel.