Israeli forces have advanced to positions north of Lebanon’s Litani river, prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu said on Friday, as Israel escalates attacks against Hizbullah militants after warning thousands more Lebanese to flee their ​villages.The Israeli advance came as the US military hosted Israeli and Lebanese defence representatives in Washington on Friday to pursue a US-brokered plan to forge peace between the two countries and disarm Iran-backed Hizbullah.The Washington talks also aim to reinforce an April 16th ceasefire that has failed to halt cross-border fighting, with Israeli warplanes pounding Lebanon’s south and east and Hizbullah firing drones and rockets into Israel.The Israeli military ​said this week it had expanded ground operations beyond a security zone its troops have occupied since April 16th. During a visit to the Israel-Lebanon border on Friday, Netanyahu said troops had pushed even further, past ⁠the Litani river that cuts east to west about 30km into southern Lebanon.“Our forces have crossed the Litani and advanced to controlling positions,” Netanyahu said in ‌remarks ‌to ​military personnel, according to excerpts released by his office.“We are operating in Beirut, in the Bekaa [Valley], across the entire width of the front, and are dealing Hizbullah a crushing blow.”The Israeli conflict in ⁠Lebanon has been the most deadly spillover of the Iran war, with ​more than 1.2 million Lebanese displaced by Israeli strikes and evacuation orders since ​March 2nd, when Hizbullah fired at Israel in support of ally Tehran.Since then, Israeli strikes have pummelled Lebanon’s south, east and its capital Beirut, killing more than 3,200 people, according ‌to Lebanon’s health ministry. Israel says 23 of its soldiers and ​four civilians have been killed over the same period.[ Returning Irish troops tell of ‘extremely challenging’ mission in LebanonOpens in new window ]Early in the fighting, Israel ordered people south of the Litani river to flee. On Thursday, the military ⁠ordered people south of the Zahrani river – which lies about 10⁠km north of the Litani – to flee as ​well, declaring the area a combat zone.Destruction in downtown Gaza City on Thursday. Photograph: Saher Alghorra/New York Times