Israel launches new strikes on southern Lebanon, again testing truce

BEIRUT – The Israeli military struck towns and villages across southern Lebanon on June 9, testing the shaky two-month ceasefire again just a day after direct hostilities between Iran and Israel threatened to unravel the truce.

At least eight people were killed in an attack on the southern city of Tyre, and dozens more were wounded, Lebanon’s Health Ministry said.

The Israeli raids, the deadliest on Tyre since fighting erupted in Lebanon on March 2, followed an Israeli order for everyone in the city to evacuate.

A video purporting to show the aftermath of a deadly strike on the city’s eastern edge showed debris strewn all along one road. Lebanese state media said rescuers were still searching for survivors.

For the first time, the evacuation warning for Tyre included the ancient port city’s Christian quarter, a sign that Israel’s offensive was widening.

Tyre, which is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, was home to roughly 100,000 before the start of the latest war in Lebanon between Israel and Hezbollah, the Iran-backed armed group, in March.

The evacuation warning for Tyre prompted a wave of people to flee from one of southern Lebanon’s largest cities, which is renowned for its well-preserved archaeological remains, including Roman ruins.

The warning included the Christian quarter, which sits alongside those ruins and has long been seen as a haven during war.

Emergency shelters quickly filled with people, and rescue teams were working to evacuate older residents, according to Lebanon’s state-run news agency.

The latest attacks underlined how Lebanon has emerged as a major wedge issue in efforts to negotiate an end to the US-Israeli war with Iran.

Iran has insisted that any peace agreement include security for Lebanon, while Israel has rejected any such link, insisting it will keep striking there to target the Iran-allied Hezbollah militia.

After an Israeli strike near the Lebanese capital, Beirut, set off a brief round of clashes with Iran, Iran warned on June 8 that it would attack Israel again if it resumed its “aggression and hostile acts”, including in southern Lebanon.

Hezbollah, for its part, has rejected any ceasefire with Israel, and has continued firing on Israel from its positions in southern Lebanon.

Israel has occupied large parts of southern Lebanon, arguing that it is needed to defend itself against Hezbollah attacks, and the Israeli military issued new evacuation warnings in the region early on June 9, warning of imminent strikes.

Some of the attacks were in areas that were not covered by evacuation warnings, according to Lebanon’s state-run news agency.

US President Donald Trump said early on June 9 that both Iran and Israel had agreed to stop their attacks on each other, and that “a very, very good deal” between the US and Iran could be finalised within days.

But it was not clear if the two sides were any closer to a deal, and there was no immediate response from Iranian officials to Trump’s comments.

The president has repeatedly said that the US and Iran were nearing an agreement to end the war, resolve the fate of Iran’s nuclear weapons programme and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a vital artery for oil and gas shipments.

US and Israeli officials said Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke on June 8.

In an interview with Axios, Trump said he warned Netanyahu not to return to war with Iran: “I said, ‘Bibi, you better be careful, or you will be on your own very soon’.”

Meanwhile, a US Army Apache helicopter gunship went down off the coast of Oman while patrolling regional waters on June 8, and the two crew members were safely rescued, the military’s Central Command confirmed on June 9.

It was not immediately clear whether the Apache was shot down by Iranian fire, experienced mechanical failure or encountered some other problem, said a person briefed on the incident, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Central Command said in a statement that the incident was under investigation.

The incident near the Strait of Hormuz occurred after days in which hostilities in the region escalated and then ebbed, as Israel and Iran exchanged military strikes before stepping back, the latest example of the tenuous nature of the ceasefire.

Trump told reporters early on June 9 that the crew members were fine. He did not provide further details, saying that a report on the incident would be issued soon.

Central Command said US Navy and Air Force personnel, as well as the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division, which has helicopters, and a special unit that operates naval drones joined the effort to rescue the two crew members – the pilot and gunner – within two hours of the helicopter going down. REUTERS, NYTIMES