Ceasefire collapses as Israeli strikes kill seven in Tyre amid evacuation orders
Hezbollah rejects conditional deal while Israeli military issues new evacuation directives for southern localities, citing ongoing threats from Iran-backed operatives.
The Israeli military continued its offensive in southern Lebanon on Friday, carrying out strikes in the city of Tyre that killed seven people, including four near the Jabal Amel hospital. The attacks occurred despite a ceasefire agreement signed between Israel and Lebanon, marking a significant breakdown in diplomatic efforts to halt the conflict. The Israeli army simultaneously issued evacuation orders for residents in Sarafand and other localities, claiming that targets within these areas were Hezbollah operatives.
Colonel Avichay Adraee, the Israeli army’s Arabic-speaking spokesperson, directed residents in Sarafand and six other localities to move north of the Zahrani River, which runs approximately 40 kilometres from the border. Earlier in the day, similar instructions were issued for three villages north of the Litani River, with soldiers warning civilians to move at least 1,000 metres into open areas. Adraee stated that proximity to Hezbollah facilities or operatives endangered lives, framing the evacuations as a necessary safety measure amidst expected attacks.
The violence in Tyre resulted in significant casualties and infrastructure damage. A strike near the Jabal Amel hospital killed four people, wounded seven, and caused light damage to the facility. A separate attack elsewhere in the city claimed three lives, including two children, and injured five others. These incidents contribute to a Lebanese death toll that has now surpassed 3,500, with the ceasefire effectively collapsing as hostilities persist across the region.
Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem formally rejected the conditional truce announced by Lebanese and Israeli envoys on Thursday. Qassem described the negotiations as “absurd, humiliating and insulting,” demanding instead a comprehensive ceasefire and full Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon. The militia has threatened northern Israel with new attacks, further complicating the prospects for a stable truce in the Levant.
Regional tensions remain high, with concurrent violence in Gaza and Lebanon. Israeli strikes in Gaza killed at least 10 Palestinians on Thursday, including women and children, while the Israeli military claimed to have killed four senior Hamas militants. In Lebanon, a UN peacekeeper died and two others were wounded after mortar shells hit their position near Marjayoun on Wednesday, according to the UN peacekeeping mission UNIFIL.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported it was unable to inspect nuclear facilities in Iran affected by the war last June, citing an inability to discharge its safeguards responsibilities under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Only the Bushehr nuclear power plant has been inspected since February, using uranium enriched to 4.5% by Russia. Meanwhile, Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei called for national unity, stating that Iran’s enemies were seeking to undermine public resilience.
