Two killed in Mercy Flight helicopter crash in Genesee County

Israel said Tuesday it killed a senior Hezbollah militant responsible for drones and missiles, even as it freed Lebanese prisoners as a "goodwill" gesture to the country's new president.

Despite a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, Israel has continued to carry out air strikes in Lebanon, claiming they are necessary to prevent the Iran-backed militant group from rearming or re-establishing a presence along its northern border.

"Earlier today, the IAF (air force) conducted a precise intelligence-based strike in the area of Nabatieh in southern Lebanon, eliminating Hassan Abbas Ezzedine, the head of Hezbollah's aerial array in the Bader regional unit," the military said in a statement.

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It said it carried out a second strike on Tuesday in the Froun area, targeting several militants.

"Several terrorists were identified in a site used by Hezbollah in the area of Froun in southern Lebanon," the military said. "An IAF aircraft struck the suspects."

Lebanon's official National News Agency reported that two people were killed in the Israeli strikes.

"An enemy Israeli drone strike targeting a car on the Deir El-Zahrani road resulted in one fatality," the news agency said, citing the health ministry.

It later reported that a second person was killed in an Israeli air strike on a vehicle in the Froun area.

Although a truce reached on November 27 largely ended more than a year of hostilities — including two months of full-scale war in which Israeli ground troops crossed the border — Israel has continued to launch periodic strikes in Lebanese territory.

Israel was initially expected to withdraw from Lebanon by February 18, after missing a January deadline, but it has maintained a presence in five strategic locations.

The ceasefire also required Hezbollah to pull back north of the Litani River, about 30 kilometres (20 miles) from the border, and to dismantle any remaining military infrastructure in southern Lebanon.

- Border disputes -

In a separate development on Tuesday, Israel announced it had agreed to release five Lebanese citizens detained during its war with Hezbollah.

"In coordination with the United States and as a gesture to Lebanon's new president, Israel has agreed to release five Lebanese detainees," a statement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun's office said four of the prisoners had been freed on Tuesday and the fifth would follow on Wednesday.

Their release followed a meeting earlier Tuesday in the Lebanese border town of Naqoura, attended by representatives of Israel, Lebanon and mediators France and the United States.

"During the meeting, it was agreed to establish three joint working groups aimed at stabilising the region," the prime minister's statement said.

"These groups will focus on the five points controlled by Israel in southern Lebanon, discussions on the Blue Line and remaining disputed areas, and the issue of Lebanese detainees held by Israel."

The Blue Line is the UN-patrolled demarcation line that has served as de facto border since 2000.

In an interview with Lebanese news channel Al Jadeed, US Deputy Special Envoy for the Middle East Morgan Ortagus emphasised Washington's efforts to resolve the border issue.

"We want to get a political resolution, finally, to the border disputes," Ortagus said.

"When it comes to the border agreement, the land border agreement, there are 13 points -- I think that six are still problematic," she said.

Ortagus said Israel had "withdrawn from over 99 percent of the territory".

"I feel fairly confident that... we can have final resolution on the five points and ultimately on the remaining issues related to the Blue Line".

Michelle Obama and her brother Craig Robinson will launch a video podcast in the coming days with new episodes dropping weekly, the former first lady confirmed on Monday.

A GOP strategist on Sunday flagged what he says is an "underappreciated fracture" among MAGA Republicans.

Brendan Buck, a former key adviser to ex-House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI), appeared on MSNBC over the weekend, and was asked about a recent "contentious cabinet meeting" involving Donald Trump appointee and richest man in the world Elon Musk.

The host asked Buck, "Can all sides coexist?"

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Buck replied that the dispute between Musk and Steve Bannon is "an underappreciated fracture in the current GOP."

"Look, Steve Bannon has been a foot soldier for Donald Trump. He went to jail for Donald Trump for a really long time. And I think he is understandably, deeply skeptical of Elon Musk, who, you know, was not even really a close ally of Donald Trump the first time around and sort of came out of nowhere and has really stolen the spotlight," Buck said. "Let's remember, Steve Bannon was a close advisor in the White House the first time around and I think he has real questions about what Elon Musk is up to."

Buck added, "We know that that Trumpism is sort of anti-immigrant nationalist and it's not clear that Elon Musk shares any of those views."

"Now, Donald trump needs both of those people. I think he likes what Elon Musk is doing," he said. "But if Steve Bannon keeps railing against him, I think that there's a real fracture that could happen here because Steve Bannon has been through this. He has the real, you know, credibility with the MAGA movement. So unless these two get on the same page, I expect trump's going to have to keep intervening."

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