Joseph Aoun, the Lebanese president, called for direct talks with Israel to end the fighting. He also leveled blame at Hezbollah, the Iran-backed group, for igniting the war.

The Lebanese parliament has extended its term by two years due to the U.S.-Israel war with Iran, which has pushed the region into an escalating conflict, and Israel stepped up its attacks on Lebanon.

By Ahmad Al Kerdi and Alexander Cornwell BEIRUT/JERUSALEM, March 9 (Reuters) - Escalating hostilities have forced nearly 700,000 people to flee their homes in Lebanon, a U.N. agency said on Monday, as the war between Israel and the Iran-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah entered a second week.

Israeli fighter jets also bombarded the southern outskirts of Beirut, the Lebanese capital, as part of its escalating military campaign against Hezbollah.

Israel carried out a commando raid in eastern Lebanon to search for clues about a navigator who went missing 40 years ago.

In a remarkable statement Monday afternoon, Lebanon called for direct talks with Israel on “permanent arrangements for security and stability on our borders,” while accusing the Iranian-backed militant group Hezbollah of betraying the country.

The previous war had been initiated by Hezbollah in solidarity with the Hamas-led attacks of October 7, 2023. This time, many Lebanese were less willing to accept Hezbollah’s decision to engage Israel.

TEL AVIV, March 7 (Reuters) - Lebanese Shi'ite militant group Hezbollah on Saturday warned residents of a northern Israeli city near the border with Lebanon to evacuate and head south. Hezbollah did not specify what action,

Many people in Lebanon are fleeing their homes after Hezbollah launched missiles into Israel from Lebanon in response to the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, and Israel retaliated

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has stressed that Israeli attacks will not achieve their goals, saying Lebanon is ready to resume negotiations to halt the Israeli escalation.