Series of Israeli strikes hit South Lebanon and West Bekaa

Israeli warplanes carried out Friday a series of strikes on several regions in south Lebanon and West Bekaa, despite Lebanon recently moving to negotiations with Israel.

The strikes targeted several regions including Ansar-Zrariyyeh, Iqlim al-Tuffah and al-Rihan heights in south Lebanon, and Zillaya in West Bekaa.

The National News Agency (NNA) reported strikes in around a dozen locations, including up to around 30 kilometers from the Israeli border, citing at times "heavy raids".

The Israeli military said in a statement that its forces "struck a training and qualification compound" used by Hezbollah's elite Radwan Force where operatives "underwent shooting exercises and additional training on the use of various types of weapons".

The army also "struck additional Hezbollah military infrastructure in several areas in southern Lebanon", it said.

Despite a ceasefire reached last year and the inclusion of two Lebanese and Israeli civilians to lead negotiations in the ceasefire committee, Israel has kept up its airstrikes on Lebanon and officials have said that the war on Hezbollah and the negotiations with the Lebanese government are two separate things.

Lebanon however says the goal of the negotiations is to end the attacks and the occupation of five hills in south Lebanon.

According to the ceasefire, Hezbollah was required to pull its forces north of the Litani River, some 30 kilometers from the border with Israel, and have its military infrastructure there dismantled.

Under a government-approved plan, the army is to dismantle Hezbollah's military infrastructure south of the Litani by the end of the year, before tackling the rest of the country.

The sites struck on Friday were generally north of the river.

Earlier this week, Israel launched a series of strikes on southern Lebanon, also saying it hit a Hezbollah training center and other targets.