Israel currently hopes that its aerial military campaign against Hezbollah will force the group to accept a deal that sees the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701 — first and foremost, the withdrawal of Hezbollah forces to the north of the Litani River. 

The Israeli military reported Tuesday afternoon that its fighter jets had in the prior 24 hours struck 1,500 Hezbollah targets. At least 558 people have been killed and more than 1,835 injured since the beginning of the current bombardment, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry. 

"Israel launched this campaign hoping to reach at the end of it a diplomatic settlement, estimating that an agreement with Hezbollah that would bring about the implementation of Resolution 1701 serves [its best] interests," geostrategic expert Ido Zelkovitz told Al-Monitor. Zelkovitz heads the Yezreel Valley Middle East program and serves as research fellow at Haifa University.

As Israel continues its strikes — and while the Pentagon says it will send more forces to the Middle East — US and French mediators keep pushing for such a deal. French special envoy to Lebanon Jean-Yves Le Drian met Tuesday in Beirut with Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati to discuss the escalating situation in Lebanon.