Ruptly
"Smoke was seen rising above towns south of Tyre and the Al-Bayada area in southern Lebanon after Israeli artillery and airstrikes on Tuesday. According to national media, an Israeli strike on a vehicle in the Al-Qassimiyah area 'killed two people and injured three others', while two others were killed in an attack on the town of Deir Kifa. Reports also claimed that Israeli forces fired 155mm heavy artillery at the villages of Al-Mansouri, Al-Qulaylah, Bayut Al-Sayyad, and the outskirts of Al-Bayada, reaching the coastline south of Tyre, while warplanes also carried out multiple raids on these villages. In a video statement on Tuesday, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said that "once the current military operation ends, the Israeli army will establish a security zone inside Lebanon to serve as a defensive line against anti-tank missiles". He added that Israel would extend its security control across the entire region up to the Litani River, approximately 30 kilometers from the border. Katz also stated that more than 600,000 Lebanese displaced by the flare up with Hezbollah would be unable to return to their villages until security in northern Israel could be guaranteed. He added that "all houses in the villages adjacent to the border in Lebanon will be demolished, similarly to what happened in Rafah and Beit Hanoun in Gaza". Tensions have escalated across the Middle East since the United States and Israel launched a joint military operation against Iran on February 28, amid diplomatic talks aimed at 'curbing Iran's nuclear and missile programmes'. Tehran responded with retaliatory strikes on Israeli and US assets in the region, accompanied by reports of explosions in several Gulf countries. Iran later confirmed the death of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, with his son Mojtaba Khamenei named as his successor. The conflict spilt over into Lebanon as Hezbollah intervened 'in revenge' for the killing of the Iranian Supreme Leader. Shipping routes, including the Strait of Hormuz, were disrupted following its closure. The latest escalation has driven oil prices above $100 per barrel, rattling global energy markets and sparking protests in several countries. "
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