Israeli Strikes Continue in Southern Lebanon Amid Iranian Warning
Israel has conducted air strikes across southern Lebanon despite warnings from Iran to cease attacks in the country.
The Lebanese health ministry reported that eight people were killed in Tyre, where the Israeli military issued a new evacuation order for residents to leave the southern city, including its Christian quarter for the first time.
Israel and Iran had paused hostilities on Monday after an Israeli strike on Beirut targeting the Iranian-backed armed group Hezbollah triggered their first exchange of fire since a truce in April.
Iran warned it could strike Israel again if attacks in Lebanon did not stop, but Israel pledged to continue its campaign against Hezbollah.
The ongoing conflict is complicating President Donald Trump's efforts to negotiate an end to the war involving the US, Israel, and Iran.
Casualties and Evacuations in Southern Lebanon
Lebanese media reported that Israeli air and artillery strikes across southern Lebanon killed at least 13 people on Tuesday.
Two people were killed in a pre-dawn drone attack in Kfar Roummane, near the major town of Nabatieh, according to the state-run National News Agency (NNA).
Later, the Israeli military again instructed residents of Tyre and its surrounding areas to evacuate immediately and move beyond the Zahrani river, approximately 30km (20 miles) to the north.
For the first time, the evacuation order included the Christian quarter in the city's northwest, where the military alleged Hezbollah fighters had been operating last week.
Roads heading north were crowded as residents fled in response to the warning, carrying mattresses and bags tied to car roofs.
Among those evacuating was Elias Barbour, who said he was heading to his sister's home in Beirut.
"What have we done wrong? What are we supposed to do?" he told AFP news agency.
Mohammed Mustafa, traveling to Sidon with his daughter, expressed reluctance to leave.
"It's a lie when they say Hezbollah is here... This is a lie to scare people," he added.
The Israeli military posted its evacuation order on social media minutes after reports of air strikes on several buildings in Tyre's eastern al-Massaken al-Shaabiya area.
The Lebanese health ministry confirmed at least eight people were killed and 32 injured, noting the figures were provisional as rescuers continued searching through rubble.
In the afternoon, two Syrian nationals were killed in Israeli strikes in the villages of Ansariyeh and Aadloun, located on the coastal highway north of Tyre, according to NNA.
There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military regarding these strikes.
Military Operations and Cross-Border Incidents
Israeli military chief of staff, Lt Gen Eyal Zamir, stated that Israeli forces continued operations in several areas of southern Lebanon, dismantling Hezbollah infrastructure.
Additionally, the Israeli military reported that troops operating in the Ramim Ridge area of northern Israel's Galilee region shot dead a "terrorist" who crossed into Israeli territory from Lebanon and opened fire towards them.
Hezbollah claimed on Tuesday that its fighters launched rockets at a new Israeli military site in the southern border town of Maroun al-Ras and targeted Israeli troops and military vehicles further north in Qantara and Zawtar al-Sharqiyeh using attack drones.
Background of the Conflict
Lebanon became involved in the war between Israel, the US, and Iran on 2 March, when Hezbollah launched rockets into Israel in retaliation for an Israeli strike that killed Iran's supreme leader.
Israel responded with a bombing campaign across Lebanon and invaded a significant portion of the country's south.
Lebanon's health ministry reports at least 3,666 people have been killed there, while Israeli authorities report 30 soldiers and four civilians killed on both sides of the border.
Nearly one million people in Lebanon, approximately one-fifth of the population, remain displaced from their homes, and 1.4 million require humanitarian aid, according to the United Nations.
The US brokered a ceasefire deal between the Israeli and Lebanese governments on 16 April, but the conflict has persisted since then.
Recent Escalations Between Israel and Iran
The escalation between Israel and Iran began on Sunday following an Israeli strike in Beirut's southern suburbs—known as Dahieh, a Hezbollah stronghold—after the group fired two rockets over the border.
Iran responded by firing approximately 30 ballistic missiles at Israel, while Israel conducted two waves of air strikes on Iran. Iran's state broadcaster reported two Iranian officers were killed.
On Monday, Iran's armed forces announced they had ceased operations after delivering a "painful response" to Israel. They also pledged "more severe and crushing measures" if Israel continued attacks, including in Lebanon.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that his country was holding fire "at the moment," but emphasized that the struggle against Iran and Hezbollah was "not finished," warning Israel would "respond with overwhelming force" to any further Iranian attacks.
"Iran's attempt to dictate new rules and alter the reality will fail. We will continue to operate and deepen the damage inflicted on the Hezbollah terrorist organisation while defending the communities of northern Israel," Gen Zamir told Israeli military commanders on Tuesday.
