By Laila Bassam, Timour Azhari and Emily Rose
BEIRUT (Reuters) – A Hezbollah attack on the northern Israeli border community of Metula killed five people including an Israeli farmer and four foreign workers, Israel’s Channel 12 reported on Thursday.
The attack came ahead of expected meetings in Israel between top officials and U.S. envoys engaged in a new push for a ceasefire in both Lebanon, where Israeli forces are battling Iran-backed Hezbollah, and in Gaza, where they are fighting Hamas Palestinian militants.
Separately, Israel issued an evacuation warning to residents of Baalbek in eastern Lebanon for a second consecutive day. On Wednesday it conducted heavy airstrikes targeting Hezbollah in the city, which is famed for its Roman temples.
Hezbollah said it had launched several rocket and artillery attacks against Israeli forces near the southern town of Khiyam on Thursday. It marked the fourth straight day of fighting in and around the strategic hilltop town, which is home to one of the largest Shi’ite communities in southern Lebanon.
Hezbollah aims to keep Israeli forces out of the town to prevent them detonating homes and buildings, as has happened on a large scale in other border towns, a source familiar with the group’s thinking told Reuters.
Hezbollah says its fighters have prevented Israel from fully occupying or controlling any southern villages, while Israel says it is carrying out limited ground operations aimed at destroying the group’s infrastructure.
The White House said on Wednesday U.S. security official Brett McGurk would visit Israel on Thursday along with Amos Hochstein, a U.S. envoy who has sought to broker a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah.
A U.S. official said they would discuss a range of issues “including Gaza, Lebanon, hostages, Iran and broader regional matters” during the visit.
Sources previously told Reuters talks were centred on a 60-day pause to allow for the implementation of U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701, which would entail Hezbollah withdrawing its armed presence from south of the Litani River.
(Reporting by Laila Bassam, Timour Azhari and Maya Gebeily in Beirut and Emily Rose in Jerusalem; Editing by Alex Richardson and Gareth Jones)
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