Lebanon expelled Iran’s newly appointed ambassador to the country on Tuesday. Hezbollah, which receives funding from Iran, called it a “grave national and strategic mistake.” This comes as Israel says that it plans to seize parts of southern Lebanon to create what it called a “defensive buffer” against Hezbollah. The Israeli military continues to bomb bridges and demolish homes in southern Lebanon. Lebanese authorities say that Israeli attacks have killed more than 1,000 people since March 2, and more than 1 million people have been forced to flee their homes. On Tuesday, the United Nations condemned Israel’s war on Lebanon.

Stéphane Dujarric: “Yes, we worry about the increased rhetoric that we’re seeing. We worry about the continuing — the continuing military activity that we’re seeing. The territorial integrity of Lebanon needs to be respected. The government of Lebanon needs to be respected.”