Lebanon says Israeli army set off large explosion in south

Lebanon has accused Israel of conducting a large explosion in the southern village of Mansouri. In contrast, Israel claimed its forces destroyed over 600 terrorist infrastructure sites in the area. Tyre, Lebanon's state-run National News Agency reported the incident. The blast was heard in the city of Tyre and several nearby villages.

Large plumes of smoke were seen emerging from the largely destroyed town following the loud explosion. The Israeli military stated that it had completed an operation in Mansouri, dismantling more than 600 terrorist infrastructure sites and eight underground routes. Lebanese authorities have accused Israel of systematically destroying villages in the south, including homes, schools, places of worship, and vital infrastructure like water and electricity.

Despite a ceasefire since June, Mansouri has faced multiple Israeli strikes and artillery shelling in recent weeks. The town's municipality had previously permitted residents to return but avoid areas under Israel's self-proclaimed security zone. However, in recent months, the Israeli military ordered the evacuation of Mansouri's residents before fully occupying the town.

Israeli forces have since regularly carried out demolitions and explosions in the town, which residents in the Tyre region have observed. In March, Iran-backed Hezbollah initiated the Middle East conflict by attacking Israel in retaliation for the killing of Iran's supreme leader in a US-Israeli strike. Since then, Israel has launched massive airstrikes and a ground invasion, which Lebanon claims have resulted in over 4,300 deaths.

Although violence has decreased since a fragile ceasefire in June and a framework agreement between Lebanon and Israel in late June, Israel has continued its attacks and maintains troops in a self-declared security zone within south Lebanon.