Smoke rises from an Israeli airstrike in Tyre, southern Lebanon, as residents evacuate the area.
Israel renewed airstrikes in southern Lebanon on Wednesday, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asserted that the Iran-U.S. ceasefire does not extend to Lebanon.
The strikes came despite Hezbollah, the Iran-backed group that drew Lebanon into the Middle East conflict by attacking Israel on March 2, not reporting any operations since 1 a.m. local time Tuesday (22:00 GMT).
Israeli authorities also reinstated an evacuation order covering areas more than 40 kilometres inside Lebanon, stating that “the battle in Lebanon is ongoing.” The warning followed an evacuation notice for a building in the southern Tyre region, which Israel subsequently struck, according to state-run National News Agency (NNA).
Several additional strikes were reported across southern Lebanon, with plumes of smoke and fragments of debris visible from targeted sites.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who has acted as a mediator in the conflict, said the two-week Iran-U.S. ceasefire applied “everywhere, including Lebanon.” Netanyahu, however, later clarified that Lebanon was excluded. Lebanese officials told AFP they had “not been informed” about Lebanon’s inclusion.
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French President Emmanuel Macron, welcoming the ceasefire, emphasised that “our wish is to ensure that the ceasefire fully includes Lebanon.”
The ongoing Israeli attacks have killed more than 1,500 people and displaced over a million in Lebanon, particularly in southern and eastern regions, as well as the southern suburbs of Beirut—areas with a strong Hezbollah presence.
News reported that small groups of displaced residents moving south on Wednesday, some in cars and others on motorcycles carrying children. However, the Lebanese military warned against returning to southern areas, citing the risk of ongoing Israeli strikes.
In Beirut’s southern suburbs, once heavily targeted by Israel, the streets remained deserted. “We are waiting for Hezbollah to issue an official statement before returning home,” said Ali Youssef, a 50-year-old delivery worker sheltering in a tent. He added that he trusted “Iran will not let us down” if attacks continue.
Earlier, an Israeli strike on the southern city of Sidon killed eight people, just hours before the ceasefire was announced.
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