Israel conducted airstrikes Tuesday across southern Lebanon, despite a warning from Iran that further attacks could lead to a devastating reciprocal response.
The Israeli military issued evacuation orders for the city of Tyre, on Lebanon’s southwestern coast, before launching a wave of airstrikes in the surrounding area.
Lebanon’s Health Ministry has not published casualty figures from the attack, but state-affiliated media reported that at least nine people were killed in a strike near the city early Tuesday.
Tyre is one of southern Lebanon’s largest cities, with nearly 175,000 people in the city and its metropolitan area.
Notably, Israel’s latest evacuation order for the city included Tyre’s Christian sector, which had previously been excluded from airstrikes. Israel asserts that Iran-backed Hezbollah militants are hiding within the city but has not provided direct evidence.
Israeli authorities said troops also killed a gunman on Tuesday who entered Israel from Lebanon and opened fire at soldiers stationed near the border. The IDF did not immediately identify the gunman as a member of Hezbollah or any other organization.
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Israel and Hezbollah have been at war since early March, when the Iran-backed militia launched rockets into Israeli territory in retaliation for the assassination of former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Feb. 28.
Israel’s offensive in southern Lebanon has killed at least 3,600 people and displaced more than 1 million, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry.
The continued strikes underscore Israel’s willingness to continue its campaign to defeat Hezbollah in Lebanon despite threats from Iran that it will retaliate with ballistic missiles.
Iran launched three waves of ballistic missiles at Israel on Monday after Israeli airstrikes hit near the Lebanese capital of Beirut the day before. Israel retaliated with missile attacks on Iran.
The attacks further pressure U.S. and Pakistani efforts to reach a ceasefire with Iran. President Trump reportedly pressed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to halt attacks on Iran over fears that they could upend peace efforts.
Mr. Netanyahu said Monday that Israel had paused its attacks on Iran, for now, but vowed to strike back if Tehran launched more missiles. He also insisted that Israel’s assault on Hezbollah enclaves in Lebanon would continue.
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Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, chief of staff of the Israel Defense Forces, echoed Mr. Netanyahu’s comments Tuesday, adding that Israel is prepared to strike deeper into Iran if attacked again.
“The IDF maintained and continues to maintain immediate readiness and preparedness for a return to fighting in Iran,” Gen. Zamir said in a statement. “We are prepared to return and deliver another hard and deep strike against Iran.”
Iran has repeatedly insisted that any peace agreement signed with the U.S. must include a full ceasefire on all fronts of the regional war, including Lebanon.
Hezbollah on Tuesday praised Iran for launching retaliatory strikes against Israel, casting the attacks as proof of Tehran’s commitment to Lebanon.
“The Iranian response came to emphasize that the interest of the stability of the region and its countries lies in exerting every effort to ensure that the agreements are upheld and that the Zionist enemy, before anyone else, adheres to them,” Hezbollah wrote in a statement read by affiliated media.
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