BEIRUT/JERUSALEM, March 9 (Reuters) - Hezbollah said on Monday its fighters clashed with Israeli troops in eastern Lebanon during an Israeli airborne raid overnight, in what would be the second such operation in the area in recent days,

Israel carried out a commando raid in eastern Lebanon to search for clues about a navigator who went missing 40 years ago.

In a remarkable statement Monday afternoon, Lebanon called for direct talks with Israel on “permanent arrangements for security and stability on our borders,” while accusing the Iranian-backed militant group Hezbollah of betraying the country.

Israel has rejected diplomatic overtures by Lebanon to halt its escalating offensive against the Hizbollah militant group, demanding that negotiations only take place “under fire”, said three people with knowledge of the matter.

By Maya Gebeily, Laila Bassam and Maayan Lubell BEIRUT/JERUSALEM, March 7 (Reuters) - Israel warned Lebanon of a "disastrous" fallout if it did not rein in Iran-backed Hezbollah on Saturday, as it pounded the group's strongholds around the country with air strikes and mounted a deadly airborne raid in the east.

The Israeli military says it's responding to strikes from Iran-backed Hezbollah, and warns residents in Beirut's southern suburbs to evacuate.

As Israeli strikes rained down, the number of people registered as displaced rose by 100,000 between Monday and Tuesday, according to figures released by the government.