Israel orders largest evacuation in southern Lebanon since April ceasefire

The Israeli military has ordered residents to leave large parts of southern Lebanon, calling the areas combat zones ahead of new strikes on Hezbollah.

The Israel Defense Forces told people to move north of the Zahrani River, roughly 40 km from the border. The IDF said it would act with extreme force and accused Hezbollah of repeated ceasefire violations. The order covers about 14 percent of Lebanese territory and is the largest since the ceasefire took effect on 17 April.

Earlier on Wednesday, Israel struck the southern city of Tyre. Hezbollah said its fighters had clashed with Israeli troops and accused Israel of breaking the ceasefire.

The strikes followed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's announcement that ground operations would expand after Hezbollah drone attacks on Israeli troops and on civilians in northern Israel.

The IDF has issued nine evacuation warnings in the past 24 hours. The order for Tyre was followed quickly by air strikes. Residents filmed from balconies as the attacks hit the city.

Rida, 52, who lost his cafe and home in an earlier strike, said many people had gathered at the port and were packing to leave. "Everyone is scared," he said.

The wider evacuation order covers about 300 towns and villages south of the Zahrani River. Many residents, including people already displaced, have no clear place to go.

Agnes Dhur, head of the International Committee of the Red Cross delegation in Lebanon, said the situation in the south was nearing a perilous tipping point. Officials and aid workers said Sidon could no longer take in more displaced families and urged people to move to the Beqaa Valley and Mount Lebanon.

Lebanese media reported Israeli strikes across the south and the eastern Bekaa Valley, with four people killed in Choukine and Nabatieh. The health ministry said at least 31 people died on Tuesday, including 15 in Burj al-Shamali.

Hezbollah said its fighters had fought Israeli forces at point-blank range in Zawtar al-Sharqiyeh, north of the Litani River and outside the declared buffer zone.

Netanyahu told a cabinet meeting on Tuesday evening that troops were deepening operations beyond the strip of land already held in southern Lebanon. He said the moves were meant to protect communities in northern Israel.

Israeli officials have said Hezbollah attacks violate the temporary ceasefire, which has been extended twice. Lebanese officials have called the Israeli strikes violations.

The escalation threatens talks involving the United States, Israel and Iran. Iran says any deal must also cover Lebanon. Israel says it will continue to fight the threat from Hezbollah.

Lebanon entered the war on 2 March after Hezbollah fired rockets into Israel in response to an Israeli strike that killed Iran's supreme leader. At least 3,213 people have been killed in Lebanon since the start of the war, according to the health ministry.