Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said Wednesday that an unconditional cease-fire between Lebanon and Israel is "the first priority," calling for intensifying international and Arab efforts to prevent dragging the region into a large-scale war.

Israeli forces launched airstrikes on Hezbollah-controlled areas in Beirut for a third consecutive day on Thursday, hitting locations in the capital's southern suburbs early in the morning after a night of heavy bombardments.