Israel strikes Tyre after ordering evacuation of south Lebanon city

Key developments are emerging from the global stage. Israel strikes Tyre after ordering evacuation of south Lebanon cityJust now Share Save Add as preferred on GoogleSamantha Granville ,BeirutandDavid GrittenAFPSmoke rises into the air following an Israeli strike near the southern city of Tyre on WednesdayThe Israeli military has said it is carrying out air strikes on Hezbollah targets in Tyre in southern Lebanon, after ordering the evacuation of the entire city. The military told residents that it was "compelled to act forcefully" in Tyre because the Iran-backed armed group was violating a US-brokered ceasefire that began five weeks ago. Earlier on Wednesday, Lebanese media reported a wave of Israeli strikes across the south and the eastern Bekaa Valley, with four people killed in the towns of Choukine and Nabatieh.

Hezbollah, which has itself accused Israel of breaching the ceasefire, said it was battling Israeli troops north of the Litani river, about 30km (19 miles) from the border. It came a day after Israel's prime minister announced an expansion of its ground operation following Hezbollah drone attacks on troops occupying part of southern Lebanon and on civilians in northern Israel. Dozens killed in Lebanon as Israel intensifies strikesHezbollah drone strike videos show evolving tactics against IsraelThick, black columns of smoke painted Tyre's Mediterranean skyline throughout Wednesday.

The Details

Residents watched with horror from balconies, filming on their phones, as powerful Israeli air strikes hit the city, which is one of the biggest in southern Lebanon. In the afternoon, the Israeli military told everyone in Tyre, as well as its Palestinian refugee camps and surrounding villages, to leave immediately and head north of the Zahrani river, about 40km from the border. It was one of the most sweeping displacement orders of the conflict to date.

Many people living in Tyre, including those already displaced from other parts of southern Lebanon, have nowhere obvious to go. Rida, 52, owned a cafe near the beach that was destroyed alongside his home in an air strike minutes before the ceasefire started last month. He previously told the he would never leave Tyre, where he grew up.

Now, the feeling is different. "I went to the port next to the beach and a lot of people are there," Rida said over the phone on Wednesday. "People packed up their stuff.

What Experts Say

I think that they will erase Tyre. "Earlier, the Israeli military told residents of Nabatieh, north-east of Tyre, and several other towns to leave for the second consecutive day. The evacuation orders came on the heels of a devastating 24-hour period that saw more than 150 Israeli air strikes tear through some 50 towns and villages across southern Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley.

The Lebanese health ministry said at least 31 people were killed on Tuesday, including 15 in the town of Burj al-Shamali, just east of Tyre. The Israeli military said it targeted Hezbollah "infrastructure sites and terrorists".

The development has drawn wide international attention, with diplomatic circles watching closely.