Israel deployed its troops into southern Lebanon on Tuesday and issued evacuation warnings to over 80 villages as Hezbollah, backed by Iran, declared readiness for a potential conflict with Israel following recent tensions between the United States, Israel, and Iran.
The escalation followed Hezbollah’s missile and drone attacks on northern Israel, prompting Israeli retaliatory airstrikes that resulted in casualties in Lebanon, including children, a Palestinian militant, and a Hezbollah intelligence official. The death toll was initially reported at 52 but was later revised to 50 by the Lebanese Health Ministry, with 335 people injured and tens of thousands displaced.
In response to the situation, the UN refugee agency reported that around 30,000 displaced individuals sought refuge in collective shelters while many others were forced to sleep in their vehicles or on roadsides due to the lack of safe accommodations.
Hezbollah confirmed launching rockets towards northern Israel, while Israeli airstrikes targeted Hezbollah’s media facilities and officials in Beirut. The Israeli military advised residents of numerous villages in southern Lebanon to evacuate immediately and refrain from returning until further notice.
A senior Hezbollah representative expressed the group’s decision to engage in open conflict with Israel after enduring continued Israeli attacks on Lebanon despite maintaining a ceasefire. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun informed foreign ambassadors that Hezbollah had been launching rockets from areas north of the Litani River, breaching established boundaries.
Both Israeli and Lebanese forces made strategic movements near the border, with Israel sending additional troops into southern Lebanon and Lebanon’s army repositioning its forces. The UN peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon documented Israeli troops crossing the border and returning to Israel, while the exact number of Israeli soldiers remaining in Lebanon remained uncertain.
The recent tensions stem from past conflicts between Israel and Hezbollah, with a history of ceasefire agreements and subsequent retaliatory actions leading to casualties and displacements in the region.