Israel strikes south Lebanon after first evacuation warning in weeks
One person has been killed in an Israeli strike in southern Lebanon, the country's health ministry says, after the Israeli military said it was responding
One person has been killed in an Israeli strike in southern Lebanon, the country's health ministry says, after the Israeli military said it was responding to a "blatant violation of the ceasefire" by the Iran-backed group Hezbollah. A man died and 12 other people were injured when the roof of a prayer hall at the cemetery of the town of Tibnin was hit, according to Lebanese media. Strikes were also reported to the west in the town of Mansouri, where the Israeli military issued its first evacuation order for more than a month. Hezbollah has not commented on the events, which came as Israeli and Lebanese officials attended US- talks in Rome aimed at maintaining the ceasefire. In late June, the three countries agreed a trilateral framework that should see the Israeli military gradually withdraw from territory it is occupying in southern Lebanon in exchange for the disarmament of Hezbollah. Two weeks ago, the Lebanese army was allowed to deploy to one of the first "pilot zones", after Israeli troops pulled out of the village of Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh.
Hezbollah has rejected the agreement, saying the provisions linking Israel's withdrawal to the group's disarmament crossed "all red lines". The Israeli military announced that it had begun carrying out "precise strikes" in southern Lebanon on Wednesday afternoon, about 30 minutes after its Arabic spokesperson had told residents of Mansouri to evacuate ahead of "forceful action" there. Both statements accused Hezbollah of violating the ceasefire but gave no further details. However, an Israeli military source told Israeli media that displaced residents of Mansouri 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 said the town was inside the Israeli-declared "security zone" - a 10km (si mile) deep strip of occupied Lebanese territory running along the border - and "military activity that endangers the lives of Lebanese civilians" was taking place there. The evacuation order was the first issued in southern Lebanon since 14 June, when residents of 29 towns and villages were told to flee their homes.
Earlier on Wednesday, the mayor of Mansouri, Haidar Madihli, told local media that Israeli warplanes had carried out four strikes on buildings and villas in the Ghazaleh neighbourhood on the outskirts of the town, causing extensive damage to the targeted structures. The strikes triggered a wave of displacement, with families filling cars with their belongings and heading towards Tyre, the largest city in the south, Madihli said. He added that around 120 families had returned to Mansouri after the 19 June ceasefire, but that the number had steadily fallen as Israeli strikes intensified. In recent days, only 40 to 50 families remained in the town. The evacuation order came as the UN's humanitarian office said more than 820,000 people displaced in Lebanon by the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah had begun returning to their home areas following a reduction in hostilities. However, the UN said about 360,000 other people remained displaced across Lebanon, including 26,000 living in government shelters.
The BriefWire