By Ayomide Otitoju
Israel renewed air and artillery strikes in southern Lebanon on Wednesday, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asserting that the recent Iran-U.S. ceasefire does not extend to Lebanon.
The attacks came despite Hezbollah, the Iran-backed group that triggered Lebanon’s involvement in the Middle East conflict by attacking Israel on March 2, not claiming any operations since Tuesday morning (22:00 GMT).
Israel issued a fresh evacuation order for areas more than 40 kilometres inside Lebanon, stating that “the battle in Lebanon is ongoing.” Earlier, Israel had warned residents to leave a building in the southern Tyre region before striking it, according to Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency (NNA), which reported several other attacks across the south.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who has served as a mediator in the conflict, said the two-week Iran-U.S. ceasefire applied “everywhere including Lebanon.” Netanyahu, however, later clarified that Lebanon was excluded. A Lebanese official told AFP that authorities “have not been informed” of any inclusion. French President Emmanuel Macron welcomed the ceasefire, emphasizing the need for it to fully cover Lebanon.
Lebanese authorities report that Israeli strikes in recent weeks have killed over 1,500 people and displaced more than a million, particularly in southern and eastern Lebanon and Beirut’s southern suburbs—areas under Hezbollah influence.
On Wednesday, AFP correspondents observed small numbers of residents moving south, some by car and others on motorcycles carrying children. However, Lebanon’s military warned displaced people not to return, citing the risk of ongoing Israeli attacks. In Beirut’s southern suburbs, heavily damaged by strikes, the area remained largely deserted.
“We are waiting for Hezbollah to issue an official statement before returning home,” said Ali Youssef, a 50-year-old delivery worker staying in a tent near the suburbs. “I am confident Iran will not let us down if Israel continues its attacks.”
The renewed strikes follow an earlier attack on Sidon shortly before the ceasefire announcement, which killed eight people.
