At least 31 people were killed and 40 others injured on Tuesday after Israeli forces intensified attacks across southern Lebanon, targeting towns and villages amid expanding ground operations near the border, the Al Jazeera reported.

The fresh wave of strikes came alongside dozens of forced displacement orders issued by the Israeli military for areas in southern and eastern Lebanon, triggering panic and a mass civilian exodus from conflict-hit regions.

Residents in southern Lebanon reported scenes of chaos as Israeli ground troops pushed deeper into Lebanese territory, with families fleeing bombardment and seeking shelter in safer areas. The escalation has heightened fears of a broader regional conflict as cross-border tensions continue to spiral.

Meanwhile, officials in Iran sharply criticised what they described as “blatant violations” of the ceasefire by the United States following reported US strikes on southern Iran earlier this week. Iranian authorities said the attacks had severely damaged ongoing diplomatic efforts aimed at de-escalating the crisis and restoring regional stability.

A senior spokesperson for Iran’s armed forces warned that any renewed US-Israel military action against Iran would trigger a “much heavier and stronger” retaliation that would “extend beyond regional borders”, according to Iran’s semi-official Fars News Agency.

In a parallel development, Iranian vice-president Mohammad Reza Aref confirmed that Tehran had taken the “first step” towards restoring full Internet access after weeks of restrictions and shutdowns imposed during the escalating conflict.