Israel's army Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir visited ground troops in southern Lebanon on Thursday, telling them Hezbollah suffered a "heavy blow" from its major bombardment targeting the Iran-backed group a day earlier.

A Hezbollah lawmaker on Thursday reiterated his group's rejection of any direct negotiations between Lebanon and Israel, after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had ordered his cabinet to begin talks with Beirut.

The Israeli army said Thursday it was striking Hezbollah positions in Lebanon, shortly after it had warned that the group could expand launches of projectiles across Israel.

Lebanon's health ministry said Thursday that Israeli strikes across the country a day before killed more than 300 people and wounded at least 1,150.

Israel and Lebanon will hold talks next week in Washington after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered direct talks, a U.S. official said Thursday.

Lebanon wants a ceasefire before starting any negotiations with Israel, a Lebanese government official told AFP on Thursday, after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had ordered his cabinet to begin direct talks with Beirut.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday he ordered his cabinet to open direct talks with Lebanon to disarm Hezbollah and establish "peace relations" between the two countries.

French President Emmanuel Macron said Wednesday that he urged his U.S. and Iranian counterparts, Donald Trump and Masoud Pezeshkian, to include Lebanon in the ceasefire reached with Iran.

At least 14 rocket alerts sounded through Thursday morning in communities near Israel's northern border with Lebanon as Israeli forces fight Hezbollah despite the U.S.-Iran ceasefire.

Iran's parliament speaker on Thursday said Lebanon was a key part of the two-week ceasefire with the United States, warning that violations would bring severe consequences, following massive Israeli strikes on Lebanon.