Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon kill 22, including eight children
Lebanon's health ministry says Israeli air strikes in southern Lebanon and around Beirut killed 22 people, including eight children. The attacks came in the shadow of ongoing US-mediated talks between Israel and Lebanon.

Lebanon's health ministry says Israeli air strikes in southern Lebanon and the southern outskirts of Beirut killed 22 people. According to the ministry, eight of those killed were children.
The BBC Middle East report says the strikes coincided with the first day of US-mediated ambassador-level negotiations between Israel and Lebanon in Washington. The Lebanese side said it had proposed a new framework to make the ceasefire durable.
The Israel Defense Forces said the targets were Hezbollah military infrastructure. The United Nations and the European Union have called for independent investigations into the civilian casualties. The US mediation team said the second day of talks was 'productive'.
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