Key facts
- Israel conducted nearly 3,500 air strikes and hundreds of controlled explosions in Lebanon since an April 17 ceasefire.
- Hezbollah claimed 16 attacks on Israeli forces in southern Lebanon.
- Israel struck the port city of Tyre, killing at least eight people.
- A U.S. helicopter crew was rescued after their aircraft went down in the Strait of Hormuz.
- Two Iranian air defence personnel were killed in Israeli strikes.
Israel struck the historic port city of Tyre in southern Lebanon on Tuesday, killing at least eight people, according to the Lebanese health ministry. This occurred as Israel and Iran halted direct attacks on each other following an appeal by U.S. President Donald Trump, though Tehran stated it would resume hostilities if Israel continued to attack its ally, the Hezbollah militia.
The Israeli raids on Tyre, the deadliest since fighting erupted on March 2, followed an Israeli evacuation order for the city. Lebanese state media reported rescuers were searching for survivors amidst debris.
The conflict between Israel and Hezbollah began when Hezbollah launched rockets at Israel in support of Iran, two days after Israel and the United States attacked Iran. Israel's continued campaign in Lebanon has complicated Trump's efforts to extend a ceasefire into a durable settlement.
Separately, two U.S. helicopter crew members were rescued by a U.S. Navy drone in the Strait of Hormuz after their Apache gunship went down. The cause of the Apache's descent was unclear.
In Tehran, two Iranian air defence personnel were due to be buried after being killed in Israeli strikes the previous day. Oil prices, which had risen due to the exchange of fire between Israel and Iran, largely retreated as attacks paused.
President Trump indicated he might have an idea for an Iran deal within days. He had previously warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to be careful regarding actions against Iran. Tehran has stated that any peace deal with the U.S. depends partly on an end to fighting in Lebanon, a condition Israel has not met, treating its Lebanon campaign separately from any U.S.-Iranian ceasefire.