At least six people have been killed by an Israeli strike in Lebanon, the health ministry there has said.
Officials said the strike, in which three others were wounded, hit a residential building in the city of Nabatieh, southern Lebanon, early on Saturday.
Tensions have soared in the region in recent weeks, after a deadly rocket strike in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights that Israel blamed on Hezbollah.
Israel responded by killing a top Hezbollah commander in the suburbs of Beirut.
Hezbollah has also vowed to retaliate against Israel, as has Iran, for the killing of the political chief of the Palestinian Hamas group, Ismail Haniyeh, in Tehran.
It comes as US President Joe Biden indicated he was now more optimistic about a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas than in months past.
“As of an hour ago, we’re still in play. I’m optimistic. It’s still far from over. Just a couple more issues, I think we’ve got a shot,” he told reporters on Friday night.
Separately, the Associated Press reported early on Saturday morning that a US official said mediators are preparing for a possible ceasefire and hostage release deal in Gaza.
The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the proposal currently on the table basically bridges every gap between Israel and Hamas and mediators were making preparations before a final deal is approved.
A new “implementation cell” was being established in Cairo in advance, the official added. The cell would focus on logistics, including freeing hostages, providing humanitarian aid for Gaza and ensuring that the terms of the pact are met.
Mediators had earlier expressed hope that a deal was within reach. They said two days of talks had wrapped up in Qatar and that they plan to reconvene in Cairo next week to seal an agreement to stop the fighting.
Israel issued a vague statement saying it appreciated the mediators’ efforts, and a statement from Hamas did not sound enthusiastic about the latest proposal to end the devastating 10-month war and free Israeli hostages held in Gaza.
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