Israel kills 10 in southern Lebanon strike ahead of Antony Blinken's visit

Aug. 17 (UPI) -- Israel Defense Forces killed at least 10 during an overnight strike in southern Lebanon as U.S. Sec. of State Antony Blinken prepares to travel to Israel on Saturday in seeking a cease-fire deal with Hamas .

IDF officials said the strike targeted a Hezbollah weapons depot in Wadi al-Kfour in the Nabatieh province, which is an industrial and residential area.

Lebanon's Health Ministry said the strike killed at least 10, including a mother and her two children. It was the deadliest strike since Iran-backed Hezbollah and Israel exchanged fire almost daily since the start of the Oct. 8 war.

Hezbollah retaliated by firing 55 rockets into northern Israel, which caused some fires but did not cause injuries, the IDF reported.

A separate drone strike also killed a motorcyclist in the southern Lebanon city of Tyre.

The attacks occurred ahead of Blinken's planned trip to Israel to help broker a cease-fire deal in Gaza .

Blinken also will try to arrange the release of the remaining hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, which includes at least eight U.S. citizens.

President Joe Biden said he's sending Blinken to Israel to "reaffirm my iron-clad support for Israel's security, continue out intensive efforts to conclude this agreement and to underscore that, with the comprehensive cease-fire and hostage-release deal now in sight, no one in the region should take actions to undermine this process."

Officials in Egypt and Qatar are scheduled to participate in the cease-fire talks, but a senior Hamas leader says Biden's optimism regarding a cease-fire deal is an "illusion."

No progress has occurred and mediators for Israel, the United States, Egypt and Qatar are "selling illusions," the unnamed senior Hamas official told the BBC .

Blinken also hopes to prevent retaliatory strikes against Israel for the recent killings of Hamas and Hezbollah leaders in Tehran and Beirut.

The Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry said more than 40,000 Palestinians have died in Gaza, which the U.N. says has an estimated population of more than 2.2 million.