Israeli airstrikes targeted the historic Lebanese port city of Tyre killing at least eight people, according to the Lebanese health ministry.
The escalation comes amid a precarious pause in direct fire between Israel and Iran, brokered by US President Donald Trump.
The strikes on Tyre, described as the deadliest on the city since fighting intensified in March, followed an Israeli military evacuation order for the entire urban center.
Footage verified by Reuters showed extensive debris and rescue teams searching for survivors along the city’s eastern outskirts.
In a separate escalation in the Gulf, a US Navy Apache gunship went down in the Iranian-controlled Strait of Hormuz.
The two-man crew was successfully recovered within two hours by a US Navy surface drone.
Speaking at New York’s John F Kennedy International Airport, Trump confirmed the crew was safe. “The pilots are fine,” Trump said. “Nobody injured.”
US Central Command reported the pilots were in stable condition. While it remains unclear if the helicopter suffered mechanical failure or was downed by Iranian fire, the incident underscores the volatility of the Strait, where Tehran continues to block significant global shipping.
The ongoing campaign in Lebanon remains a major obstacle to President Trump’s efforts to convert a tenuous ceasefire between Israel and Iran into a lasting regional settlement.
Iran has stated that any long-term peace deal with Washington depends on a cessation of hostilities in Lebanon. Conversely, Israel has insisted on treating the Lebanon campaign as a separate security matter to dismantle Hezbollah infrastructure.
