Israel’s military struck the southern Lebanese port city of Tyre with a series of airstrikes after the Israeli military issued an evacuation warning to some areas of the city, Lebanon’s state-run state news agency reported.
Footage broadcast by local media and Lebanon’s Civil Defense showed thick plumes of smoke billowing toward the skyline, along with fires and widespread destruction of residential buildings.
Following Israel’s evacuation warning, civil defense troops patrolled the city with loudspeakers urging residents to leave the area immediately.
The National News Agency (NNA) reported “series of strikes” in the ancient coastal city, starting with raids on residential apartments.
An AFP video reporter reported thick smoke covering parts of Tyre, including smoke billowing from buildings along the coast.
The Israeli military had previously ordered residents of central Tire to leave immediately and warned that it would attack Hezbollah targets there.
“Hezbollah’s activities have forced (the Israeli military) to act strongly against it,” military spokesman Avichai Adrey wrote in a post on X, urging residents to “head north.”
The attached map shows large parts of the city in red, including areas adjacent to UNESCO World Heritage sites.
The Thai Municipality Association received a call in Arabic from the Israeli military urging residents to evacuate several nearby streets, a municipality source told AFP.
The NNA said the union instructed civil defense and emergency responders to use loudspeakers to urge residents to vacate, which “created a state of panic”.
The strike struck in the city center on Monday morning, killing seven people and wounding 17, the health ministry said.
Israel expanded airstrikes against Hezbollah strongholds last month. It sent ground troops to Lebanon after a year of cross-border gunfights with Iran-backed groups over the Gaza war.
