Israeli forces carried out widespread strikes across southern Lebanon after issuing large-scale evacuation warnings to residents in areas near the border, as tensions with Hezbollah continued despite an existing ceasefire.
The Israeli military said the strikes targeted Hezbollah infrastructure, while videos circulating from the Lebanese city of Tyre showed crowds gathered around destroyed buildings covered in dust and debris.
The Israel Defense Forces instructed residents to move north of the Zahrani River, located about 40 kilometres from the Israeli border, warning that operations would continue “with extreme force”.
Israel and Hezbollah have continued accusing each other of violating the ceasefire agreement that came into effect on 17 April.
Lebanon’s National News Agency reported that two waves of Israeli strikes hit Tyre and nearby eastern areas on Thursday morning. Footage from the city showed explosions, flames and smoke spreading through streets overnight, while some vehicles were seen burning.
By daylight, another explosion near residential towers sent a large column of smoke above the city skyline as shocked residents watched debris scatter through surrounding streets.
Israel said the attacks targeted suspected Hezbollah sites. A Hezbollah member in Tyre told reporters that rescue and recovery operations had been suspended because conditions remained too dangerous and workers had received evacuation warnings from the Israeli military.
Ambulance teams reportedly continued moving through neighbourhoods urging residents to leave amid fears of additional strikes. More evacuation warnings were also issued overnight while many residents were asleep.
Officials in Sidon said shelters in the city had already reached full capacity, while authorities in Tyre advised displaced residents to continue travelling north toward Beirut.
Lebanese state media also reported that an Israeli drone strike hit a family attempting to flee threatened villages in southern Lebanon, killing six people, including children.
The evacuation order issued Wednesday was described as the largest since the ceasefire began, covering roughly 14 percent of Lebanese territory.
The latest escalation followed statements by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announcing an expansion of military operations after Hezbollah drone attacks on Israeli troops and civilians in northern Israel.
Residents in Tyre reportedly watched airstrikes from balconies shortly after the evacuation orders were announced. One resident identified as Rida, whose home and café had previously been destroyed in an earlier strike, said residents were now gripped by fear as people packed belongings and attempted to flee.
The later evacuation order affecting areas south of the Zahrani River covered around 300 towns and villages, leaving many displaced residents uncertain about where to seek safety.
International Committee of the Red Cross warned that conditions in southern Lebanon were approaching what it described as a “perilous tipping point”. The organisation said ongoing hostilities were creating dangerous conditions for civilians and could lead to long-term consequences.
Lebanese media also reported additional Israeli strikes across southern Lebanon and the eastern Bekaa Valley, where four people were killed in the towns of Choukine and Nabatieh.
Hezbollah later said its fighters had engaged Israeli troops “at point-blank range” in Zawtar al-Sharqiyeh, north of the Litani River and outside the Israeli-declared buffer zone.
Israeli officials accused Hezbollah of violating the ceasefire through continued attacks, while Lebanese officials argued that Israeli strikes themselves breached the agreement.
The escalation has further threatened negotiations linked to the wider conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran. Iran has insisted that any agreement must also address the situation in Lebanon, while Israel maintains it will continue operations against Hezbollah.
The conflict expanded into Lebanon on 2 March after Hezbollah launched rockets into Israel following an Israeli strike that killed Iran’s supreme leader. Israel responded with airstrikes across Lebanon and a ground operation.
Lebanon’s health ministry says at least 3,213 people have been killed since the conflict began, while Israel says 23 soldiers and four civilians have died during the fighting.
Ojo Triumph
