Israel says 'battle' in Lebanon continues, ceasefire does not apply

JERUSALEM

Israel's military said Wednesday its forces would continue their campaign against Hezbollah fighters, claiming the ceasefire with Iran does not apply to Lebanon.

"The battle in Lebanon continues, and the ceasefire does not include Lebanon," the military's Arabic-language spokesman, Colonel Avichay Adraee, said on X, warning residents to evacuate areas south of the Zahrani River.

The White House said Israel had also agreed to the ceasefire, but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said it does not include Lebanon, where Israel's operation in response to rocket fire by Iranian-backed Hezbollah has killed more than 1,500 people, according to Lebanese authorities.

On Wednesday, the Israeli military pressed on with the war in Lebanon, warning residents of one building near the southern city of Tyre to evacuate, with Lebanese state media reporting renewed strikes.