Israel Offers Direct Talks with Lebanon After Airstrikes Kill Over 200

After Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon killed more than 200 people in one day, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that his country is ready to start direct talks with Lebanon. According to the Lebanese Ministry of Health, on Wednesday, the Israeli Air Force carried out simultaneous strikes on more than 100 targets across the country, killing at least 203 people and wounding more than 1,000. Mass casualties occurred in many places. The Lebanese government declared Thursday a day of mourning throughout the country. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday that he has instructed his cabinet to start direct peace talks with Lebanon as soon as possible. At the heart of these talks will be the complete disarmament of the Lebanon-based terrorist organization Hezbollah. Netanyahu said that in view of the Lebanese request to start direct talks with Israel, "I have repeatedly instructed the cabinet during yesterday's meeting with Hezbollah to begin as soon as possible, clarifying the main objective of this dialogue."