The head of Israel's Mossad has praised the spy agency's "groundbreaking" operations in the war against Iran and Hezbollah, saying it acquired intelligence "from the heart of the enemy's secrets".

"In the campaigns against Iran and Hezbollah, we worked shoulder-to-shoulder with the IDF, on both defense and offence," David Barnea said, referring to the Israeli military.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio posted Tuesday on the X platform segments of an interview in which he told Fox News that "The Israel-Lebanon ceasefire is very unique" because "Lebanon and Israel are not at war."

"Israel’s problem is with Hezbollah. Unfortunately, Hezbollah happens to be inside of Lebanon conducting attacks against Israel," Rubio said in the interview.

Typically, around 100,000 mostly ultra-Orthodox Jews would gather next week on Mount Meron in northern Israel to celebrate the Lag BaOmer holiday.

However, the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday that the large festival will replaced with a smaller symbolic ceremony, citing concerns about the gathering being attacked by Hezbollah. Similar restrictions were imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic and previous wars.

Israeli strikes targeted Tuesday Zawtar, Jibal al-Botom and Majdalzoun in south Lebanon, as Israel expanded strikes on Lebanon despite a ceasefire.

The health ministry said Israeli strikes on the south killed four people on Monday, including a woman, and wounded 51 others, including women and children.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Hezbollah's rockets and drones were a key threat demanding military action, as Israel's army expanded strikes on Lebanon where authorities reported four dead on Monday despite a ceasefire.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said direct talks with Israel sought to end the Israel-Hezbollah war and that those who dragged Lebanon into it were the ones committing "treason" -- a jab at the Iran-backed group, which claimed several attacks on Israeli targets in south Lebanon on Monday.

Israel's military chief of staff Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir issued a sharp warning to troops about looting on Monday, and said using social media to spread "questionable" messages was crossing "a red line".

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday said rockets and drones possessed by Hezbollah remained a key threat that demanded further military action by Israel's military in Lebanon.

Israel and Hezbollah have traded blame over violations of the fragile 10-day ceasefire in Lebanon agreed earlier this month, which has since been extended, and attacks by both sides have continued.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz warned Monday that Hezbollah's defiance would bring catastrophic consequences for Lebanon after the group's leader Naim Qassem rejected proposed direct talks between Lebanon and Israel.

President Joseph Aoun spent all of Sunday holding contacts with officials in Washington to follow up on the situation on the ground in the south and to curb military escalation, a media report said on Monday.

Extensive consultations will begin in Beirut among President Joseph Aoun, Speaker Nabih Berri and PM Nawaf Salam, and also with the political forces, to "pave the way for decisions described as pivotal that Lebanon must make regarding the negotiation process between Lebanon and Israel," a media report said on Monday.

"While awaiting the crystallization of the next steps, the broad outlines of which were established during the second round of talks between the Lebanese and Israeli ambassadors at the White House, culminating in a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump, it was reported that a new U.S. memorandum will be issued by the State Department outlining renewed instructions for the ceasefire," An-Nahar newspaper reported.