The Israeli military launched air strikes on the southern Lebanese city of Tyre after issuing one of the conflict’s largest evacuation orders, telling residents to immediately leave the area amid escalating clashes with Hezbollah.
Israel said it was targeting Hezbollah infrastructure and fighters, accusing the Iran-backed group of violating the US-brokered ceasefire that began in April. Thick smoke was seen rising across Tyre as multiple strikes hit the city and surrounding areas.
Residents of Tyre, nearby villages and Palestinian refugee camps were instructed to move north of the Zahrani River, roughly 40km from the Israeli border. The evacuation order sparked panic among civilians, many of whom had already been displaced by earlier fighting.
The escalation followed a wave of Israeli attacks across southern Lebanon and the eastern Bekaa Valley. Lebanese officials said at least 31 people were killed in strikes on Tuesday, including civilians in Burj al-Shamali, Choukine and Nabatieh.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel was intensifying operations against Hezbollah after the group launched drone attacks on Israeli troops and communities in northern Israel.
“We are fortifying the security zone to protect communities in the north,” Netanyahu said during a cabinet meeting, adding that Israeli troops were expanding ground operations in southern Lebanon.
Hezbollah, meanwhile, claimed its fighters engaged Israeli forces in close combat north of the Litani River, beyond the area Israel has described as a buffer zone.
The latest escalation has raised fears that the fragile ceasefire could collapse entirely, threatening wider regional negotiations involving Israel, Iran and the United States.
Lebanese authorities say more than 3,200 people have been killed in Lebanon since fighting intensified in March, while Israel says 23 soldiers and four civilians have died during the cross-border conflict.
