One killed as Israel hits south Lebanon, issues forced displacement orders

The Israeli military has ordered residents of 20 Lebanese towns and villages to leave their homes immediately.Israeli air raids across southern Lebanon have killed four people as attacks continue despite a United States-brokered “ceasefire”.Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA) reported that one person was killed in an airstrike targeting the town of Maarakeh in the Tyre District.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4One injured as Israel hits southern Lebanon with air raids, artillerylist 2 of 4Are Iran, US really close to a breakthrough ‘deal’?list 3 of 4Trump blasts Iranian media, says leaked ceasefire deal terms are untruelist 4 of 4Iran’s foreign minister says ceasefire deal with US has ‘never been closer’end of listAli Badie, the mayor of Ar-Rihan municipality, was killed in an Israeli attack on the area in the Jezzine district of southern Lebanon.Two other people were killed in an Israeli airstrike targeting their town of Deir al-Zahrani in Nabatieh District, which also destroyed a residential building, according to NNA.Al Jazeera’s Heidi Pett, reporting from Beirut, said that over the course of Friday and into the evening, there were continued Israeli air attacks on towns and villages that are well north of what the Israelis call the “Yellow Line” – the part of southern Lebanon that they have been seeking to control and to occupy.The attacks come after an announcement by Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday that the United States and Iran have agreed on the wording of an agreement aimed at ending their war, and that mediators were working with both sides to finalise a deal.Iranian media report the initial agreement would declare an end to the war “on all fronts, including Lebanon”.This has led to fears that Israel’s actions in Lebanon could scupper a deal, since Israel is not a party to the negotiations between the US and Iran, and its leaders have said they do not plan to withdraw from Lebanon.The attacks also come amid a supposed ceasefire, agreed between Israeli and Lebanese officials earlier this month, that would require a “complete cessation” of fire by Hezbollah, yet the fighting continues.