Israel strikes south Lebanon after first evacuation warning in weeks

An Israeli assault in southern Lebanon has resulted in one fatality, according to the Lebanese health ministry. This action followed the Israeli military's declaration that it was reacting to a "blatant violation of the ceasefire" by Hezbollah, a group supported by Iran.

Lebanese media reported that a man died and 12 others were wounded when the roof of a prayer hall at the cemetery in Tibnin was struck. Further strikes were reported in Mansouri, to the west, where the Israeli military issued its first evacuation directive in over a month.

Hezbollah has not commented on these events, which occurred while Israeli and Lebanese officials were engaged in US-sponsored discussions in Rome aimed at upholding the ceasefire.

In late June, a trilateral agreement was reached, outlining a gradual withdrawal of the Israeli military from occupied southern Lebanese territory in exchange for Hezbollah's disarmament. Two weeks prior, the Lebanese army was permitted to deploy to one of the initial "pilot zones" after Israeli forces vacated the village of Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh. Hezbollah has rejected this agreement, asserting that linking Israel's withdrawal to the group's disarmament crossed "all red lines."

The Israeli military announced it commenced "precise strikes" in southern Lebanon on Wednesday afternoon, approximately 30 minutes after its Arabic spokesperson advised Mansouri residents to evacuate in anticipation of "forceful action." Both statements accused Hezbollah of ceasefire violations but provided no further specifics.

However, an Israeli military source informed Israeli media that displaced Mansouri residents had returned to their town "under the auspices of the Lebanese army, which established a checkpoint in the area in violation of the agreements." The source indicated that Mansouri is within the Israeli-declared "security zone"—a 10km (six-mile) deep strip of occupied Lebanese territory along the border—and that "military activity that endangers the lives of Lebanese civilians" was occurring there.

This evacuation order was the first in southern Lebanon since June 14, when residents of 29 towns and villages were instructed to leave their homes.

Earlier on Wednesday, Mansouri's mayor, Haidar Madihli, told local media that Israeli warplanes conducted four strikes on buildings and villas in the Ghazaleh neighborhood on the town's outskirts, causing extensive damage. These strikes led to a wave of displacement, with families packing their belongings into cars and heading towards Tyre, the largest city in the south, Madihli stated. He added that about 120 families had returned to Mansouri after the June 19 ceasefire, but this number steadily decreased as Israeli strikes intensified, leaving only 40 to 50 families in the town in recent days.

The evacuation order coincided with the UN's humanitarian office reporting that over 820,000 people displaced in Lebanon by the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah had begun returning home due to reduced hostilities. Nevertheless, the UN noted that approximately 360,000 others remained displaced across Lebanon, including 26,000 in government shelters.

Lebanon became involved in the conflict between Israel, the US, and Iran on March 2, when Hezbollah launched rockets into Israel in response to a strike that killed Iran's supreme leader. Israel retaliated with a bombing campaign across Lebanon and an invasion of a significant portion of the country's south.

According to the Lebanese health ministry, at least 4,333 people have been killed during the conflict, including 392 women and 253 children. Since the ceasefire, the ministry has recorded 353 deaths. Israeli authorities report that 38 Israeli soldiers and four civilians have been killed on both sides of the border during the conflict.