Fierce fighting Monday rocked the strategic southern Lebanese town of Bint Jbeil, as Israeli troops appeared to encircle the area while Hezbollah militants launched rockets and artillery in an effort to push them back.
The clashes in the hilly town that overlooks the U.N.-mandated Blue Line dividing the two countries just over 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) away have intensified over the past week, after Iran and the United States agreed to a temporary truce. On Tuesday, Lebanon and Israel's ambassadors to the U.S. are set to meet in Washington for an in-person meeting in a bid to kick off a landmark series of direct negotiations.
