- Lebanese civil defence evacuates Tyre after new Israeli orders.
- Tyre airstrike kills eight; two rescuers injured by drone.
- Hezbollah claims 16 attacks as humanitarian crisis deepens.
Lebanese civil defence teams are evacuating elderly and vulnerable residents from the southern city of Tyre after the Israeli military issued a new displacement order covering additional parts of the city.
According to Lebanon’s National News Agency, residents continued to leave areas marked for evacuation, while rescue workers transported vulnerable people to safer locations. The latest order also included Tyre’s Christian quarter, which had previously been excluded. Israel claimed Hezbollah fighters were operating in the area.
Israeli Strike Injures Rescue Workers
Lebanon’s Civil Defence agency said three people, including two rescue workers, were injured in an Israeli attack on the town of Sharqiyeh in southern Lebanon.
The agency said its personnel were assisting a wounded individual when a second drone strike targeted the same location in what it described as a “double-tap” attack. The two rescuers sustained minor injuries and were taken to hospital along with the civilian casualty.
Despite the incident, the agency said it would continue carrying out emergency and humanitarian operations. More than 100 rescue workers have reportedly been killed since hostilities in Lebanon resumed on March 2.
Pak, Lebanon Army Chiefs Discuss Security Cooperation
The chiefs of the Pakistani and Lebanese armed forces met in Rawalpindi on Tuesday and agreed to strengthen defence cooperation amid ongoing regional tensions.
Lebanese Army Commander Rodolphe Haykal and Pakistan Army Chief Asim Munir discussed regional security developments, defence collaboration and ways to expand military ties, according to a statement issued by Pakistan’s military media wing.
Pakistan has been involved in diplomatic efforts aimed at easing tensions between the United States and Iran, while the conflict involving Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah movement continues to affect regional stability.
Israeli Airstrike on Tyre Kills Eight
An Israeli airstrike on a residential neighbourhood in Tyre killed at least eight people, according to Lebanon’s Civil Defence authorities cited by Al Jazeera Arabic.
The strike occurred shortly after the Israeli military issued fresh evacuation orders for the city, raising concerns over the safety of civilians still remaining in the area.
Hezbollah Claims 16 Attacks on Israeli Forces
Hezbollah said it carried out 16 operations against Israeli forces in southern Lebanon on Tuesday, including attacks near the strategic Beaufort Castle area.
In a series of statements, the Iran-backed group claimed it destroyed two Israeli military bulldozers in Yohmor al-Shaqif, near Beaufort Castle, and targeted several concentrations of Israeli troops. Hezbollah also said it intercepted an Israeli drone flying over the Iqlim al-Tuffah region.
The latest claims come as hostilities continue despite a ceasefire agreement reached between the United States and Iran on April 8.
Lebanon Remains Flashpoint
The conflict expanded into Lebanon on March 2 after Hezbollah launched rockets towards northern Israel, citing ongoing Israeli strikes in Lebanon and the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, on February 28.
While Washington and Tehran agreed to halt direct hostilities in April, Israel has maintained that its military campaign in Lebanon remains separate and will continue targeting Hezbollah positions.
Iran, however, has repeatedly argued that any broader agreement with the United States must include an end to Israeli military operations in Lebanon. Announcing the end of its attacks on Israel earlier this week, Iran’s military warned that further aggression, including actions in southern Lebanon, could trigger a stronger response.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz dismissed the warning, vowing to continue operations against Hezbollah and threatening strikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs in response to any attacks on northern Israel.
Humanitarian Crisis Deepens
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said on Monday that Israeli forces have carried out nearly 3,500 air strikes, 407 demolitions and six large-scale operations that flattened entire villages since April 16.
According to Lebanon’s Health Ministry, the death toll from the Israeli offensive since March 2 has risen to 3,637, while more than 11,000 people have been wounded.
The conflict has displaced more than one million people, roughly one-fifth of Lebanon’s population. Government shelters in Beirut, Sidon and other regions have reached full capacity, according to Salam’s office.
Aid organisations have warned of a worsening humanitarian emergency. The International Rescue Committee said 94 percent of displaced people are struggling to meet basic needs, while many residents returning to southern Lebanon have found their homes and communities destroyed.
“The humanitarian needs are massive, and if we have any hope of recovery, we need to see a lasting ceasefire,” Rick Bartoldus, the IRC’s country director for Lebanon, told Al Jazeera.
