LEBANON DEATH TOLL TOPS 3,000 AS ISRAEL-HEZBOLLAH FIGHTING INTENSIFIES DESPITE CEASEFIRE EFFORTS AND ONGOING TALKS. (PHOTO).

 Lebanon death toll tops 3,000 as Israel-Hezbollah fighting intensifies despite ceasefire efforts and ongoing talks

  Lebanon’s health ministry said Monday that the death toll from the latest escalation in fighting between Israel and Hezbollah has surpassed 3,000, with 3,020 people killed in Israeli strikes, including 292 women and 211 children. The ministry said the current round of hostilities began on March 2, when Hezbollah fired toward Israel shortly after earlier U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran, and that attacks from both sides have continued despite a fragile ceasefire.

Israeli forces have carried out an ongoing campaign of airstrikes and ground operations in southern Lebanon while also targeting Beirut and other regions, saying the goal is to disrupt Hezbollah’s efforts to rearm. Hezbollah, which also plays a major political role in Lebanon, has rejected demands to disarm and continues to launch drone attacks targeting Israeli troops in Lebanon and communities in northern Israel. The violence has displaced more than one million people in Lebanon, with many sheltering in temporary camps along roadsides and coastal areas near Beirut.

Despite diplomatic efforts that produced a ceasefire beginning April 17 and later extended into June, Israeli strikes have continued daily, and Israeli troops remain stationed in parts of southern Lebanon. Hezbollah is not participating in the negotiations and has opposed the talks, instead expressing support for its ally Iran in separate discussions with the United States mediated through Pakistan.

On Monday, the Israeli military urged residents in several towns near the southern coastal city of Tyre to evacuate ahead of expected airstrikes. Separately, Palestinian Islamic Jihad said one of its officials and his daughter were killed in an Israeli strike in Baalbek near the Syrian border.

Israeli officials have said their focus remains on disarming Hezbollah, framing the talks as a possible step toward broader diplomatic normalization. Lebanese officials, however, are seeking a security arrangement or armistice that would include Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory, while maintaining their stance on disarming Hezbollah.

Even as fighting continues, both sides agreed to extend the ceasefire by 45 days and plan to hold direct military-level talks on May 29. U.S. officials have also pushed for high-level engagement between leaders, though Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has declined direct talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at this stage, citing domestic political sensitivities.

Since the latest escalation began, Israel has reported the deaths of 20 soldiers, two civilians, and a defense contractor operating in southern Lebanon. United Nations peacekeepers in the region have also been caught in the crossfire, with six reported killed.