US envoy in Beirut says 'real opportunity' to end war

US special envoy Amos Hochstein said during a visit to Beirut that an end to the Israel-Hezbollah war was "now within our grasp" as he met with officials to discuss a truce plan largely endorsed by Lebanon.

The United States and France have spearheaded efforts for a ceasefire in the war, which escalated in late September after nearly a year of deadly exchanges of fire between Hezbollah and Israeli troops.

Israel expanded the focus of its operations from Gaza to Lebanon, vowing to secure its northern border to allow tens of thousands of people displaced by the cross-border fire to return home.

Since the clashes began with Hezbollah's attacks on Israel, more than 3,510 people in Lebanon have been killed, according to authorities there.

Most of the fatalities have been recorded since late September, among them more than 200 children, according to the UN.

Following a meeting with Hezbollah-allied parliamentary speaker Nabih Berri, who has led mediation on behalf of the group, Mr Hochstein told reporters he saw "a real opportunity" to end the fighting.

"I'm here in Beirut to facilitate that decision, but it's ultimately the decision of the parties... It is now within our grasp," he added.

The head of Lebanon's Hezbollah group, Naim Qassem, has postponed a speech set for today to a later time, Hezbollah's media office said.

Earlier, Israel launched airstrikes on central Beirut, killing five people according to the health ministry, as firefighters said a rocket launched from Lebanon killed one woman in Israel. The Israeli army also said that a soldier was killed in south Lebanon.

In Gaza, the Hamas-run interior ministry said that at least 20 people were killed in an operation against the looting of aid trucks.

Israel has staged three strikes in two days against central Beirut, after weeks of air raids aimed at emptying the southern suburbs stronghold of the Iran-backed Hezbollah group.

Israel escalated its bombardment of Hezbollah strongholds in September, vowing to secure its northern border with Lebanon so that Israelis displaced by cross-border fire can return home.

Lebanon's health ministry said five people were killed and 31 wounded in an Israeli strike in Zuqaq al-Blat. Many people have fled to the densely populated district from southern Beirut.

The official National News Agency (NNA) said an apartment near a Shia Muslim place of worship had been targeted, "causing great damage".

At least ten people were killed in Israeli strikes around central Beirut on Sunday. Hezbollah spokesman Mohammed Afif and four members of his media team were killed in one of the attacks.

Afif is the latest senior Hezbollah official to be killed in Israel's campaign. The group's leader Hassan Nasrallah was killed in September in south Beirut.

Israel's military said Hezbollah fired around 100 projectiles into northern Israel, with some intercepted by air defences.

In Shfaram, east of the Haifa area where Hezbollah has regularly claimed attacks, a rocket hit a building and killed a woman, emergency personnel said.

The building "suffered a direct hit" and ten people were mildly wounded, paramedics said.

In the suburbs of Israel's commercial capital Tel Aviv, five people were wounded, including one woman in serious condition, after rocket fire hit central Israel, first responders said.

Hezbollah said it had launched "attack drones" against "sensitive military points in the city of Tel Aviv".

In Beirut, Israel's strikes prompted the closure of schools and higher education institutions in the Beirut area for two days.

US truce proposal

Israel widened the focus of its war from Gaza to Lebanon after nearly a year of tit-for-tat cross-border exchanges, which Hezbollah said were in support of Hamas in Gaza.

Lebanese authorities say more than 3,510 people have been killed since October last year, with most casualties recorded since September.

Lebanon's government has largely endorsed a US truce proposal to end the Israel-Hezbollah war and was preparing final comments before sending a response to the United, a Lebanese official told AFP.

"Lebanon has a very positive view on this proposal," one government official who has been following the talks closely said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told parliament, however, that even with a deal Israel would "carry out operations against Hezbollah" to keep the group from rebuilding.

Hamas officials not in Doha but office not closed - Qatar

Hamas negotiators are not in Doha but the Palestinian militant group's office there has not been permanently closed, Qatar has said.

"The leaders of Hamas that are within the negotiating team are now not in Doha," foreign ministry spokesperson Majed Al-Ansari said.

He added: "The decision to... close down the office permanently, is a decision that you will hear about from us directly."

In Gaza, authorities launched an anti-looting operation after a convoy of more than 100 UN food trucks was attacked on Saturday.

Gaza's interior ministry said at least 20 people were killed in a security operation targeting "gangs" that looted trucks.