Israel launched another series of attacks against towns across Lebanon, especially targeting south of the country, in violation of a ceasefire agreement in mid-April. 

The shelling and strikes came in spite of peace talks between Tel Aviv and Beirut, with one senior US State Department official commenting that the two countries enjoyed a "full day of productive and positive talks” on Thursday.

Here are some of the other latest developments in the region: 

  • US President Donald Trump said he does not have much patience left with Iran, urging the country to reach a deal. The president also expressed that him and counterpart Xi Jinping "feel very similar" on Tehran, saying: "We we don’t want them to have a nuclear weapon. We want the straits open."

  • China's foreign ministry on Friday stressed that a ceasefire must be reached urgently in the region, with trade routes reopened "as soon as possible".

  • Israeli and US military officials held meetings on plans to take in the case of renewed military action against Iran over the past week, according to a report by Kan. Tel Aviv reportedly expressed to Washington interest in resuming military action against Iran, arguing that the war on Tehran ended "earlier than it should have".

  • One Palestinian was killed and another wounded by Israeli forces overnight in a town south of Nablus, occupied West Bank, following an attack by settlers in the same area. 

  • A group of settlers early on Friday set fire to a number of vehicles in a village in Ramallah, occupied West Bank, the latest attack in a wave of escalating Israeli violence. The settlers had also vandalised walls of the village and residents' properties with racist slogans.