Israel has conducted air strikes on the southern Lebanese city of Tyre during a period of heightened tension with Iran and its ally Hezbollah. Eight residents were reportedly killed, and a separate health ministry report cited 32 injuries.
The strikes followed Iran’s warning that it would retaliate against continued Israeli attacks in Lebanon, while Israel insisted that its campaign was a response to Hezbollah rockets. Israeli forces issued an evacuation order for Tyre’s residents, including for the first time the city’s Christian quarter near the seafront.
In the days since the bombing, Lebanese media have reported additional casualties, with 13 people killed across southern Lebanon. The Israeli army has also defended its operations as part of a broader campaign targeting Hezbollah infrastructure, claiming to have killed a “terrorist” who crossed from Lebanon into Israel.
The conflict is part of a wider confrontation involving the United States, Israel, and Iran that began in March. U.S. negotiators have been attempting to broker a ceasefire, but no lasting truce has been achieved and tensions remain high.
Residents fleeing Tyre have described chaos – cars with mattresses on roofs, arguments over the necessity of leaving, and concerns that the evacuation is a tactic to pressure them. The Israeli military posted its orders on social media after reports of air strikes on buildings in the eastern al‑Massaken al‑Shaabiya area.
