Laila Bassam

Israel on Monday told residents of south Lebanon to stay out of a belt of territory at the border and not to approach the area of the ‌Litani River, entrenching its grip over southern Lebanon despite a ceasefire in the war with Hezbollah.

A growing rift among top Lebanese officials has thrown a wrench into Saudi efforts to help Lebanon's leaders forge a united position over negotiations with Israel, Lebanese sources and ​foreign officials told Reuters on Thursday.

The Israeli ​military carried out a ‌strike on Wednesday on the southern suburbs of Beirut ​in a Hezbollah stronghold ​known as Dahiyeh, targeting the ⁠commander of the ​militant group's elite Radwan force, ​according to an official Israeli statement.

Twelve people were killed by a series of Israeli strikes on cars in Lebanon on Wednesday, the health ministry said, ‌as conflict between Hezbollah and Israel continued on the eve of a third round of U.S.-mediated talks between Lebanon and Israel.

The ongoing war between Israel and Lebanese armed group Hezbollah is ​expected to shrink Lebanon's economy by at least 7% this year and could cost the country an estimated $20 billion, Finance ‌Minister Yassine Jaber told Reuters.

A ceasefire agreed between Iran and the United States in early April is very likely to end if Israeli attacks on Tehran-backed Hezbollah in ​Lebanon persist, Iranian state TV said on Monday, without providing further details.

The pro-Iran Hezbollah movement rejected a new ceasefire in Lebanon on Thursday and Israel said it would not withdraw troops from the country, undermining U.S. President Donald Trump's efforts to ​halt fighting there to forge peace with Tehran.

Fighting in southern Lebanon abated on Monday after the announcement of a U.S.-Iran deal to ​end the wider conflict, but local authorities warned displaced people not to rush home and Israel said it would not withdraw its troops ‌from the area.

Hezbollah accused Israel of committing hundreds of ceasefire violations.

A ceasefire largely held in Lebanon on Monday as the country experienced the longest lull yet in three months of war between Hezbollah and ​Israel, even as fear of renewed hostilities kept displaced people from going home.