Power outages occur in northern Israel following missile strike from Lebanon

Power outages occurred in Metula and Kiryat Shmona in northern Israel following a missile strike launched from Lebanon, Israeli media reported on Friday.

Damage was reported on a packing house in Metula, and fire erupted at the scene, Channel 12 said, adding that there were no casualties.

Israeli daily Haaretz reported that 25 rockets have been launched from Lebanon toward northern Israel since early Friday.

The reported rocket launches came as Israel has carried out airstrikes and a ground offensive in southern Lebanon since a cross-border attack by the Lebanese group Hezbollah on March 2, despite a ceasefire that took effect in November 2024.

Earlier, a US State Department official told Anadolu that the US will host direct talks between Israel and Lebanon next week as part of ongoing ceasefire negotiations, while a senior Lebanese source, who requested anonymity, told Anadolu in a statement on Friday: “The meeting at the US State Department next week is preparatory, not a negotiation."

The expected talks between Lebanon and Israel come after US President Donald Trump on Tuesday announced a two-week Pakistan-mediated ceasefire with Iran, saying Tehran had presented a “workable” 10-point proposal for negotiations. While Pakistani mediators and Tehran said the truce also covered Lebanon, Washington and Tel Aviv have denied it.