Israel Strikes South Lebanon After IED Kills 2 Soldiers, Orders Mansouri Evacuation
Updated
Updated · BBC.com · Aug 6
Israel Strikes South Lebanon After IED Kills 2 Soldiers, Orders Mansouri Evacuation
3 articles · Updated · BBC.com · Aug 6
Summary
Two Israeli soldiers were killed and four others seriously wounded when an IED exploded in Majdal Zoun during an operation to demolish Hezbollah infrastructure—the first Israeli combat deaths in Lebanon since 28 June.
Israel then launched what it called precise retaliatory strikes across southern Lebanon, saying Hezbollah had committed a blatant ceasefire violation, though it gave no details and Hezbollah did not comment.
Lebanon's health ministry said a strike in Tibnin killed one man and injured 12 others, while later attacks in Tyre district hit Mansouri, Majdal Zoun and Burj al-Shamali, wounding eight more people.
Mansouri received the first Israeli evacuation order in more than a month, with Israel saying the town lies inside its 10km security zone and that returning residents under Lebanese army cover breached agreements.
The escalation came as Israeli and Lebanese officials met in Rome for US-backed ceasefire talks tied to a late-June framework for Israeli withdrawal and Hezbollah disarmament, which Hezbollah has rejected.
Can U.S.-mediated Rome talks survive while southern Lebanon faces evacuations, demolitions, and claims that the cease-fire is being rewritten by force?
Is Israel enforcing a cease-fire in southern Lebanon—or using strikes and tunnel demolitions to build a buffer zone before Rome talks produce a deal?
Why did Israel order Al-Mansouri residents to flee, then strike as negotiations continued—and what alleged Hezbollah breach has still not been explained?