Smoke was seen billowing up into the air over the southern Lebanese city of Tyre on Tuesday (March 24) and the audio of an explosion could be heard following an Israeli strike, according to Lebanon’s state news agency.

Israel will occupy southern Lebanon up to the Litani River to create a "defensive buffer", Defence Minister Israel Katz said on Tuesday, spelling out for the first time Israel's intent to seize territory amounting to nearly a tenth of Lebanon.

At a meeting with the military chief of staff, Katz said Israeli forces would "control the remaining bridges and the security zone up to the Litani," a river that meets the Mediterranean about 30 km (20 miles) north of Israel's border.

Lebanese armed group Hezbollah said it would fight to prevent Israeli troops from occupying southern Lebanon, calling such a move an "existential threat" to the Lebanese state.

Israel's strikes across southern Lebanon and parts of Beirut have caused widespread destruction and killed more than 1,000 people, according to Lebanese authorities, with over a million residents forced from their homes.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

SHOWS: TYRE, LEBANON (MARCH 24, 2026) (REUTERS – Access all)

1. EXPLOSION, PLUME OF SMOKE BILLOWING UP INTO THE AIR / AUDIO OF EXPLOSION / DARK SMOKE RISING