8 killed by Israeli fire in Lebanon in past 24 hours, death toll nears 2,500

Eight people were killed by Israeli fire in Lebanon in the past 24 hours, taking the death toll since March 2 to 2,483, Lebanese authorities said Thursday.

A statement by the Cabinet’s Disaster Risk Management Unit said that 11 more people were injured over the past day, pushing the number of injuries to 7,707 people.

The new casualties came despite a 10-day ceasefire, which is set to expire on Sunday, which Israel has violated repeatedly.

Washington is set to host a second round of ambassador-level talks between Israel and Lebanon later Thursday in an effort to reach a peace agreement.

The first round, held on April 14, the first such talks in 43 years, resulted in the temporary ceasefire and an agreement to begin direct negotiations at a later stage.

Lebanon is seeking in this round to extend the ceasefire, and secure an Israeli withdrawal from occupied territory, according to Lebanese officials.