Israel Strikes Southern Lebanon After Evacuating Residents
One person has been killed and 12 injured after an Israeli strike hit the roof of a prayer hall at the cemetery of Tibnin, south Lebanon, the Lebanese health ministry says. Israeli forces say the strike was a response to a “blatant violation of the ceasefire” by the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah.
A previous evacuation order was issued for Mansouri, a town under Israel’s “security zone”, and soldiers returning were parked by the Lebanese army in a “pilot zone”. The Israeli military says this area is a breach of agreed agreements, while Hezbollah rejects the withdrawal‑disarmament deal that attempts to strip the group of arms in exchange for Israel pulling back.
The strike comes as U.S.–sponsored talks in Rome aim to maintain the ceasefire after a trilateral framework was agreed in late June to gradually withdraw Israeli forces from occupied land in exchange for Hezbollah’s disarmament. The United Nations says over 820,000 people displaced by the ongoing conflict are starting to return home, though about 360,000 remain in camps.
Since the March 2 incident that sparked the latest flare‑up, at least 4,333 Lebanese have been killed – including 392 women and 253 children – and 353 casualties have been recorded since the ceasefire. Israeli forces have lost 38 soldiers and four civilians in the broader border conflict.
By David Gritten
