At least nine people were killed and 27 wounded in an Israeli attack on the outskirts of the southern Lebanese coastal city of Tyre, despite an ongoing ceasefire agreement, Lebanese civil defence sources said on Tuesday.
Shortly after the strike, the Israeli military issued an evacuation order covering the entire city, prompting fears of a wider offensive. Lebanese security sources reported additional Israeli shelling in areas surrounding Tyre.
The Israeli military did initially not comment on the reports.
The Israeli military specifically urged residents and those sheltering in the city's Christian neighbourhoods to leave immediately. The Christian areas in south Lebanon were largely spared in previous attacks and became a refuge for displaced families fleeing other parts of the city in recent days.
Israel has accused the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah of using civilian areas as cover for attacks, an allegation the group denies.
A Lebanese security source told dpa that “a belt of Israeli fire is surrounding the city of Tyre and the Palestinian camps around it,” describing intense military pressure on the area.
An eyewitness told dpa: "People are in panic. Even Christian areas which had been spared so far are now under the warning, so people started to flee in panic towards the port city of Sidon."
The latest escalation has heightened concerns over the stability of the ceasefire and raised fears of further displacement in southern Lebanon.
