Israeli strikes targeted Thursday Sinay, Teffahta, Tebna, Froun, Siddiqine, Haddatha, Zrarieh, Brayke', Kfarmelki, Qsaybeh, Jarjou', Kfarseer, Kafra, Arnoun-Shqif, al-Mansouri, Srifa and other villages and towns in south Lebanon, despite a ceasefire and direct Lebanese-Israeli talks scheduled for Thursday and Friday in Washington.

In the east of the country, strikes hit Yohmor, Sohmor, Lebbaya, and Ein el-Tineh.

Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea accused Hezbollah on Thursday of "bringing back" the Israeli occupation of South Lebanon. He said that the group's leader, Sheikh Naim Qassem, can take whatever stance he likes but cannot "obstruct" the direct negotiations with Israel.

Geagea added that Speaker Nabih Berri is similarly free to take any stance he wants, provided he does not cause obstruction. "Berri heads neither the executive power in Lebanon nor the deputies. When the results of the negotiations are sent to Parliament, he can offer his opinion as the head of a parliamentary bloc," Geagea said.

Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri has linked the success of the direct talks with Israel — which begin this Thursday in Washington — to the implementation of a "genuine" ceasefire.

"If a genuine ceasefire is not achieved, it means all is lost," Berri told ad-Diyar in remarks published Thursday.

Israeli strikes targeted Wednesday seven cars, three of them on a major highway linking Beirut to southern Lebanon, killing 8 people, including 2 children.

The attacks on the coastal highway south of Beirut took place in Jiyeh, Barja and Saadiyat. On Saturday, two similar strikes targeted two cars on the same highway, despite a truce reached on April 16.

Hezbollah launched Tuesday a massive drone swarm attack on north Israel, Israeli media said, adding that it is the first time multiple drones target a single target inside Israel.

An Israeli security source described the attack as the most significant drone attack on Israel to date.

Israeli strikes targeted Wednesday three cars on a major highway linking Beirut to southern Lebanon, killing 8 people, including a woman and her two children, ahead of talks between Lebanon and Israel in Washington.

The attacks took place in Jiyeh, Barja and Saadiyat. On Saturday, two similar strikes targeted two cars on the same highway, despite a truce reached on April 16.

Strikes targeted Tuesday afternoon al-Henniyyeh, Kherbet Selem, Qsaybeh, Harees, Tayrdebba, and Ras al-Ain south of Tyre, while Hezbollah claimed drone attacks on a soldier and a Merkava tank in north Israel near the border with Houla.

The Israeli army renewed its warning to four villages in south Lebanon -- Arzoun, Tayrdebba, Bazourieh and al-Hosh.

Amid preparations for the third round of Lebanese-Israeli negotiations in Washington, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam clarified that "at the top of our agenda is solidifying the ceasefire."

The Israeli military said on Tuesday its troops had conducted a days-long raid in the area of the Litani river in south Lebanon, where exchanges of fire with Hezbollah persist despite a ceasefire.

In a statement, the military said that over the past week, troops had conducted a "special operation to clear terrorist infrastructure from the Litani area and establish operational control in the area".

Hezbollah chief Sheikh Naim Qassem said Tuesday that his group will not stop fighting and will turn the battlefield into "hell" for Israel.

"We will keep fighting, we will respond to all violations, and we will not return to how things were before March 2," Qassem said.