In an initial statement, the military reported that warning sirens had sounded in the area of Sasa and surrounding communities after systems detected what was believed to be a hostile aircraft entering Israeli airspace.

Following an assessment, the military said the alert had been caused by a mistaken identification and that no hostile aerial object had entered the area.
“The sirens warning of a hostile aircraft infiltration were determined to have been a false identification,” the military said in a statement.

No injuries or damage were reported.

The incident occurred as Israel remains on heightened alert due to continuing regional security tensions linked to the ongoing conflict involving Iran and recent missile and drone activity across the region.

False alarms have become increasingly sensitive security events as Israeli air-defense and early-warning systems operate under elevated readiness conditions amid concerns over potential aerial threats, including drones, missiles and other unmanned platforms.

Israeli authorities did not provide further details regarding the nature of the misidentification or the systems involved in triggering the alert.

In separate warnings posted on social media, Israeli military spokesperson Avichay Adraee urged civilians to leave targeted areas immediately and move to safer locations ahead of anticipated strikes.

The initial warning covered 10 villages, most of them located in southern Lebanon, where residents were instructed to relocate at least 1,000 meters from their homes. The Israeli military said the measures were necessary because of what it described as Hezbollah violations of the ceasefire agreement.

Later in the day, Adraee issued a second evacuation notice directed at residents of one building in Rashidiyeh and two buildings in Burj Al-Shamali, both near the city of Tyre. The military alleged that the sites were located near facilities used by Hezbollah and ordered residents to move at least 300 meters away.

The warnings marked the latest escalation in a conflict that has continued despite a ceasefire that came into force on April 17. Israel and Hezbollah have exchanged fire on an almost daily basis since then, raising concerns about the stability of the truce and the potential for broader regional escalation.

Israeli forces have repeatedly targeted locations in and around Tyre that they say are connected to Hezbollah operations. The strikes have caused significant damage in several neighborhoods and contributed to recurring waves of civilian displacement.

Lebanese authorities say Israeli military operations since early March have killed more than 3,100 people, although the figures do not distinguish between combatants and civilians. The casualty toll has become a central point of contention as diplomatic efforts to reinforce the ceasefire continue.

The Israeli military separately announced that one of its soldiers was killed in southern Lebanon on Sunday. According to Israeli figures, the death brought to 23 the number of soldiers killed since the outbreak of hostilities with Hezbollah. One civilian contractor has also been reported killed.

The latest evacuation orders came as Lebanon observed Resistance and Liberation Day, a national holiday commemorating Israel’s withdrawal from southern Lebanon in 2000. Lebanese leaders used the occasion to call for solidarity with communities affected by the continuing violence rather than celebrations.

The renewed warnings underscore the fragile nature of the ceasefire and the persistent security challenges along the Israel-Lebanon border, where military activity and civilian displacement remain ongoing concerns.

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to resume full-scale military operations in Lebanon, arguing that current measures were insufficient to counter Hezbollah attacks.

“It is time for the prime minister to take a firm stand with Donald Trump and tell him that Israel is returning to war in Lebanon,” Ben Gvir wrote on social media, calling for expanded military action and tougher economic measures against Lebanon.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich also advocated a stronger response, specifically urging strikes on Beirut following Hezbollah drone attacks targeting Israeli troops and positions near the border.

“There is an urgent need to put an end to the threat posed by Hezbollah’s explosive drones,” Smotrich said on Telegram, proposing a significantly more forceful military response against targets in the Lebanese capital
Smotrich added that he had approved a special defense allocation of approximately 2 billion shekels ($692 million) to support the development of counter-drone capabilities for Israel’s security establishment.

The comments from the two ministers came after the Israeli military announced the death of another soldier in southern Lebanon, bringing the number of Israeli military fatalities since the conflict began to 23. One civilian contractor has also been killed, according to Israeli authorities.

The current round of fighting began on March 2 when Hezbollah entered the broader regional conflict following the killing of Iran’s supreme leader in joint U.S.-Israeli strikes, according to the report.

Hezbollah subsequently launched rocket attacks into Israel, prompting Israeli retaliatory operations that later expanded into a ground offensive in southern Lebanon.

Israeli forces are currently operating within a self-declared security zone extending roughly 10 kilometers inside Lebanese territory along parts of the southern border. At the same time, Israel has continued conducting airstrikes deeper inside Lebanon despite a ceasefire agreement that took effect on April 17.

Lebanon’s Health Ministry says the conflict has killed at least 3,123 people in the country since March, although official figures do not distinguish between civilians and combatants.

The growing pressure from coalition hardliners reflects increasing frustration within Israeli political circles over the effectiveness of the ceasefire. Opposition leader Yair Lapid described the truce as ineffective, arguing that continued attacks on northern Israel undermine its credibility.

“Either there is a ceasefire or we respond with disproportionate force to every attack against us,” Lapid told reporters.

The calls for escalation come as Israel and Lebanon continue participating in U.S.-mediated negotiations aimed at reducing hostilities and addressing longstanding security disputes. The two sides are expected to hold a fourth round of talks in early June.

However, prospects for a durable settlement remain uncertain. Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem has opposed the negotiations and rejected calls to disarm the group, while Hezbollah continues attacks on Israeli military targets in southern Lebanon and across the border.

The ministers’ statements underscore the growing tensions within Israel over how to handle the conflict, as military operations, diplomatic initiatives and domestic political pressures increasingly intersect in one of the region’s most volatile confrontations.

The conflict has intensified despite ongoing diplomatic efforts aimed at securing a ceasefire and broader regional de-escalation. Areas south of the Litani River have been largely depopulated and heavily damaged, while Israeli military activity has increasingly extended north of the river.

Recent clashes have highlighted Hezbollah’s evolving battlefield approach. According to Israeli media reports cited in the source material, a Hezbollah fighter infiltrated an area near Qawzah, north of the border, and killed an Israeli major before escaping. In another reported incident, a Hezbollah drone targeted the commander of Israel’s 401st Armored Brigade in the town of Debel.

Military sources cited in the report said Hezbollah has largely moved away from the extensive use of guided missiles and rocket barrages that characterized earlier phases of the conflict. Instead, the group is relying on small, mobile units conducting ambushes, infiltration operations and drone attacks designed to inflict casualties while avoiding direct confrontation with Israel’s superior air power and surveillance capabilities.

Analysts said advances in Israeli intelligence gathering, including drones, surveillance balloons and satellite monitoring, have made traditional launch-and-withdraw tactics increasingly difficult. As a result, Hezbollah has adapted by dispersing fighters into smaller independent units operating across multiple locations.

A Lebanese military source said the growing use of fiber-optic first-person-view drones has altered the nature of the battlefield by enabling more precise attacks against Israeli positions. However, Israeli forces continue to maintain overwhelming advantages in airpower, intelligence collection and long-range strike capabilities.

The humanitarian impact has continued to mount. According to figures cited in the report, more than 3,120 civilians have been killed and over 9,500 wounded since March 2. Israeli forces recently issued additional evacuation warnings covering dozens of villages north of the Litani River ahead of further military operations.

The destruction has fueled debate inside Lebanon over the costs of continued fighting. Israeli newspaper reports cited in the article suggested that Hezbollah faces difficulties rebuilding its ranks and is under pressure to reach a ceasefire, although the group has not publicly commented on such claims.

Retired Lebanese military officials offered differing assessments of the conflict’s trajectory. Retired Major General Abdul Rahman Chehaitli argued that Hezbollah’s guerrilla tactics complicate Israeli efforts to hold territory but are unlikely to produce a decisive military outcome.

He said civilians and the Lebanese state remain the principal victims of the confrontation.
Retired Brigadier General Khalil Jamil said Hezbollah’s tactics can impose costs on Israeli forces but are unlikely to compel a withdrawal from southern Lebanon.

He argued that Israel increasingly views the conflict through an existential security lens and has demonstrated a willingness to sustain a prolonged campaign despite casualties and domestic pressure.
Both officers agreed that a military solution remains unlikely and that negotiations ultimately represent the only viable path to ending the conflict.

Diplomatic attention is focused on upcoming security discussions expected later this month between Israeli and Lebanese officials under U.S. sponsorship, followed by a broader political track in June. The talks come amid wider regional diplomacy, including ongoing discussions between the United States and Iran.
Israel continues to reject any arrangement that would permit Hezbollah to maintain a presence in southern border areas, while Lebanon is seeking a comprehensive ceasefire, Israeli withdrawal, prisoner releases, the return of displaced civilians and reconstruction assistance.

According to Yassin Jaber, economic losses from the war, including damage to homes, infrastructure and businesses, have reached approximately $20 billion. He said international aid flows have been significantly lower than those received during previous conflicts.

As diplomatic efforts continue, fighting on the ground shows little sign of easing, leaving southern Lebanon caught between Hezbollah’s campaign of resistance and Israel’s determination to secure its northern frontier.

The strikes came hours after Israel issued evacuation warnings to residents of 10 villages in southern Lebanon, urging them to leave areas near locations identified by the military as Hezbollah infrastructure.
Israeli military spokesman Avichay Adraee said the army was compelled to act against alleged violations of the ceasefire by Hezbollah, adding that civilians were being warned in advance to reduce the risk of casualties.

Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reported Israeli airstrikes on roughly a dozen sites across southern Lebanon, including an attack on an agricultural area that wounded several Syrian workers.
One of the most significant strikes occurred in the southern coastal city of Tyre, where a targeted attack near Hiram Hospital caused extensive damage to the medical facility.

Journalists at the scene reported shattered windows, damaged medical equipment and structural impacts throughout parts of the building.

Hospital chief executive Dr. Salman Aydibi said approximately 40 patients, including seven intensive care patients, were inside the facility when evacuation warnings were issued. Staff moved patients to safer sections of the hospital before the strike occurred.
According to Aydibi, no patients were injured, although around 30 staff members suffered minor injuries.

The hospital remained operational after the attack, though emergency services were briefly suspended while damage assessments were carried out.
The Israeli military said it had struck Hezbollah infrastructure sites in Tyre that were allegedly being used by operatives to plan and execute attacks against Israeli forces. It said precautions included advance warnings, aerial surveillance and the use of precision-guided munitions.

Israeli forces also conducted strikes in eastern Lebanon overnight. The military said it targeted an underground Hezbollah facility used for weapons production.

Separately, Jamaa Islamiya and its armed wing, Al-Fajr Forces, announced that one of their members had been killed in an Israeli strike in eastern Lebanon.

The latest attacks underscore the fragility of the ceasefire that took effect on April 17. While the agreement, backed by Washington, halted large-scale fighting, both Israel and Hezbollah have accused each other of violations, and intermittent military exchanges have continued along the border.

Under the ceasefire framework, Israel maintains the right to take action against what it describes as planned, imminent or ongoing attacks, a provision that remains a source of dispute between the two sides.

Accounts from residents, analysis of satellite images and observations by AFP journalists indicate that dozens of towns and villages near the Israeli border have suffered severe damage, including the destruction of homes, schools, religious sites, public infrastructure and agricultural land.

Israel launched a military campaign in southern Lebanon after Hezbollah, the Iran-backed armed group, opened a front against Israel on March 2. Israeli forces responded with large-scale airstrikes and a ground offensive in areas where Hezbollah maintains a strong presence.

Although a ceasefire came into force on April 17, residents and Lebanese officials say demolitions, bulldozing operations and strikes have continued across parts of southern Lebanon. Israel has maintained that its actions target Hezbollah infrastructure and operatives and are intended to prevent future attacks on Israeli communities.

Satellite images reviewed by AFP showed extensive destruction in the border village of Yaroun, located less than one kilometer from Israel. Residents said much of the town, including residential neighborhoods and public buildings, has been reduced to rubble.

Images from Bint Jbeil, a major town in southern Lebanon and a longstanding Hezbollah stronghold, also indicated widespread damage. Satellite photographs taken in early April showed relatively limited destruction, while images captured a month later suggested that large sections of the town had been demolished.

Lebanese Environment Minister Tamara Zein has accused Israel of carrying out what she described as “urbicide,” a term used to describe the deliberate destruction of urban areas. Researchers at Lebanon’s government-linked National Council for Scientific Research echoed concerns that destruction accelerated during the ceasefire period.

According to the council, Israeli attacks since 2023 have damaged more than 290,000 housing units across Lebanon, including roughly 61,000 since the latest conflict began. Researchers estimate that around 12,000 units were completely or partially destroyed after the ceasefire took effect.

Lebanon’s Agriculture Ministry said earlier this month that more than 560 square kilometers of farmland had been damaged by Israeli military operations and attacks.

Israeli forces continue to operate inside a self-declared security zone extending approximately 10 kilometers into Lebanese territory. Israeli officials say the measures are necessary to protect border communities from Hezbollah attacks and prevent the group’s military re-establishment near the frontier.

The destruction has complicated efforts by displaced residents to return home. More than one million people have been displaced from southern Lebanon during the conflict, according to Lebanese officials and researchers.

The latest allegations come as Lebanese and Israeli representatives continue direct talks in Washington aimed at preserving a fragile truce and preventing a broader escalation along the border.

Major General Avi Bluth, commander of the Israeli military’s Central Command, signed the implementing order required to enforce the legislation in the West Bank, according to Israeli media reports.

The measure follows legislation passed by the Knesset in March authorizing capital punishment for Palestinians convicted of attacks resulting in the deaths of Israeli citizens.

Under the military order, courts handling such cases must impose the death penalty as the default sentence unless judges determine that unspecified “special circumstances” justify life imprisonment instead.

Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported that provisions within the legislation make its application overwhelmingly directed at Palestinians. The law requires proof that the accused acted with intent to undermine the existence of the State of Israel or the authority of the military commander in the territory, conditions critics say are unlikely to be applied to Jewish Israeli suspects.

The legislation has prompted legal and diplomatic criticism amid heightened tensions in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the ongoing war in Gaza Strip.
Foreign ministers from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Jordan, Indonesia, United Arab Emirates, Pakistan, Turkiye and Egypt jointly condemned the measure, warning that it entrenched discriminatory policies against Palestinians.

In a joint statement, the countries described the law as a dangerous escalation and accused Israel of advancing practices amounting to apartheid while denying Palestinians’ rights in the occupied territories.
The ministers also cited what they called credible reports of abuses against Palestinian detainees, including torture, starvation and denial of basic rights, arguing the death penalty law risked intensifying existing tensions.

Israeli authorities have defended the legislation as a counterterrorism measure intended to deter attacks against civilians.

In a statement, the Iran-backed group said its fighters targeted the Ya’ara barracks with what it described as “a swarm of attack drones” after earlier announcing several operations against Israeli forces operating in southern Lebanon near the border area.

The reported strike comes amid ongoing clashes that have persisted since fighting escalated on March 2, undermining efforts to stabilize the border despite ceasefire arrangements aimed at limiting further escalation between the two sides.

Hezbollah said Israeli troops remained deployed in areas of southern Lebanon close to the frontier, where exchanges of fire and military operations have continued in recent weeks.

There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military on Hezbollah’s reported drone attack or claims regarding operations near the Ya’ara barracks in northern Israel.

Cross-border hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel have intensified alongside broader regional tensions linked to conflicts involving Iran-backed groups across the Middle East, raising concerns about a wider confrontation along Israel’s northern frontier.

According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, 120 Palestinians, including eight women and 13 children, have been killed in Israeli attacks since the Iran conflict was paused on April 8, marking a 20% increase compared with the preceding five-week period.

Conflict monitor Armed Conflict Location and Event Data (ACLED) reported that Israeli attacks in Gaza rose by 35% in April compared with March, reflecting a renewed military focus on the territory after Israel scaled back operations linked to Iran.

The escalation underscores mounting difficulties surrounding US President Donald Trump’s efforts to secure a lasting ceasefire and advance reconstruction plans in Gaza following more than two years of conflict between Israel and Hamas.

“The war is still ongoing,” said Lafi Al-Najjar, a 36-year-old blind Palestinian whose son was killed in an Israeli strike on April 28. Speaking from a tent camp in the ruins of Khan Younis, Najjar said conditions on the ground had not reflected public declarations of de-escalation.

Israel’s military did not immediately comment publicly on the increased pace of strikes. However, four Israeli defense officials told Reuters that military leaders had recently warned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government that Hamas was tightening operational control, replenishing weapons supplies and rebuilding militant ranks.

An Israeli military official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the ceasefire arrangement permitted Israel to act against imminent threats. The official added that the military had prepared broader operational plans for a possible resumption of large-scale combat in Gaza, although no formal order had been issued.

The ceasefire agreement reached in October halted major fighting after two years of war but failed to produce a permanent political settlement.

Negotiations aimed at securing a full Israeli withdrawal, Hamas disarmament and reconstruction of Gaza have stalled.

Israeli forces continue to control more than half of Gaza’s territory, where extensive demolition has left large areas uninhabitable. More than 2 million Palestinians are concentrated in a narrow coastal zone, many sheltering in damaged buildings or temporary encampments.

Since the October ceasefire, around 850 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli strikes, according to figures that do not distinguish between civilians and combatants. During the same period, four Israeli soldiers were killed by militants in Gaza. Hamas has not released casualty figures for its fighters.

Several Israeli strikes since mid-April have targeted positions associated with Gaza’s Hamas-run police force. Palestinian health and police officials said at least 14 police personnel had been killed since April 14.

Nasser Khdour, a researcher at ACLED, said Israeli attacks during April targeted Hamas operatives, allied militant factions, police facilities and security checkpoints across areas under Hamas administration.
Khdour said drone strikes, artillery shelling and gunfire had also continued near armistice lines, affecting both militants and civilians approaching Israeli positions.

Since March, Israel has simultaneously expanded military operations beyond Gaza, joining US strikes against Iran while continuing air and ground campaigns against the Iran-backed Hezbollah movement in Lebanon. Although hostilities in Lebanon have slowed under a separate US-mediated ceasefire, clashes have persisted intermittently.

The inquiry, initiated by Microsoft’s US headquarters, followed a joint investigation by The Guardian, +972 Magazine and Local Call that reported Israeli intelligence Unit 8200 used Microsoft’s Azure cloud platform to collect, store and analyze intercepted phone conversations involving Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank.

According to the reports, Microsoft’s internal review concluded that the Israeli military had violated the company’s terms of service through the use of Azure technology for surveillance operations.

The investigation also found that employees within Microsoft’s Israeli subsidiary had not fully disclosed the nature of the military’s activities to senior executives in the United States.

Haimovich played a central role in developing ties between Microsoft and Israeli defense authorities, according to The Guardian. The newspaper reported that he attended a 2021 meeting between Microsoft Chief Executive Satya Nadella and the then-head of Unit 8200, one of Israel’s most prominent military intelligence divisions.

The report said Haimovich later supervised the relationship that enabled Unit 8200 to establish a large operational network within the Azure system, allowing intelligence personnel to process and review millions of intercepted calls.

Israeli financial newspaper Globes reported that Haimovich was questioned by Microsoft’s investigative team, which included lawyers from US law firm Covington & Burling, during a visit to the company’s offices near Tel Aviv.

Following the investigation, Unit 8200 reportedly lost access to Azure services and related artificial intelligence tools provided through the platform.
Haimovich did not publicly comment on the investigation.

However, in an internal email cited by The Guardian announcing his departure, he said he had helped transform Israel into “one of Microsoft’s fastest-growing markets worldwide.”

Microsoft had previously indicated that senior leadership was unaware that Azure infrastructure was being used to store intercepted Palestinian communications.

Last year, Microsoft Vice Chair and President Brad Smith said the company did not supply technology intended to facilitate “mass surveillance of civilians.”

The revelations add to increasing scrutiny faced by major technology companies over the use of cloud computing and artificial intelligence tools by governments and military agencies in conflict zones.