00:01Warplanes streaked over South Lebanon on Monday as Israeli troops tried to seize a key town from Hezbollah fighters on
00:08the eve of rare talks between Israeli and Lebanese government envoys.
00:11An Israeli military spokesperson said the army had encircled the town of Bint Jebeil near the border and begun a
00:17ground assault.
00:18Lebanese sources said Hezbollah fighters holed up inside were ready to fight to the death.
00:25Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday said the assault was part of a broader operation to push the Iranian
00:31-backed Hezbollah fighters away from the border.
00:35He said he envisaged, quote, a solid, deeper security zone that would prevent infiltration and rocket attacks.
00:44The conflict between Israel and Hezbollah erupted again when the group, based in Lebanon, opened fire on Israel after Israel
00:50attacked the group's sponsor, Iran.
00:52Israel responded with punishing airstrikes on Hezbollah targets as well as residential neighborhoods in the capital, Beirut.
00:58Israel has said that while it will adhere to a two-week ceasefire the U.S. reached with Iran, it
01:03will continue to operate in Lebanon.
01:07Meanwhile, in Washington, the ambassadors of both Lebanon and Israel were set to meet on Tuesday,
01:12a rare face-to-face encounter between countries still in a formal state of war.
01:16But the outlook for the sit-down is uncertain.
01:19Israel has said it won't discuss a ceasefire.
01:23Well, Hezbollah has objected to negotiations with Israel.
01:26Well, Hezbollah has objected to negotiations with Israel.
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