Five killed in Lebanon as Israeli forces advance across key Litani River

At least five people have been killed in Israeli air strikes targeting towns in southern Lebanon , as Lebanese and Israeli military delegations plan to hold security talks at the Pentagon. The attacks on Friday came as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israeli forces had crossed the Litani River in Lebanon, which runs about 30 kilometres north of their shared border, in an expanded ground offensive. Recommended Stories list of 4 items end of list Israel’s latest military operation started despite the “ceasefire” that began on April 17, and was extended for 45 days on May 17 following indirect talks mediated by the United States. Israel-Lebanon talks At the Pentagon talks later on Friday, Lebanon will demand that Israel halt its ongoing attacks, which have intensified in recent days. The Lebanese delegation includes six officers, headed by the army’s director of operations, Georges Rizkallah. On the Israeli side, Brigadier General Amichai Levin, head of the strategic division within the army’s planning directorate, is in Washington for the talks, according to an Israeli military spokesman. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun told US Secretary of State Marco Rubio that a ceasefire with Israel was crucial. A statement from his office said that during a phone call, Aoun “emphasised the need to exert all efforts to reach a ceasefire, considering it an essential gateway to moving on to any other step”. …