Israeli strikes have killed more than 3,000 since March 2, Health Ministry says

The number of people killed by Israeli attacks in Lebanon since the start of the war on March 2 has surpassed 3,000, according to figures from the Health Ministry. The Ministry said 3,020 people have been killed, including 116 medical personnel and 211 children or minors, and 9,273 have been wounded.

In addition, 32 more people were killed in the past 24 hours compared with the previous day’s tally.

The United States announced Friday, after a second day of talks between Israel and Lebanon in Washington, a 45-day extension of a truce that began on April 17 and was set to expire Sunday. Hezbollah rejects the negotiations, the first between the two countries in decades, which do not have diplomatic relations. The talks focus in particular on the sensitive issue of disarming the group, which it refuses to do.

According to an AFP tally, a total of 21 Israelis have died in Lebanon — 20 soldiers and a civilian contractor working for the army — since the start of the war in March.

Lebanon was plunged into the regional war with Iran on March 2, when Hezbollah launched an attack on Israel to avenge the death of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.