JERUSALEM: The Israeli military on Tuesday warned residents of 12 towns and villages in southern Lebanon to immediately evacuate ahead of expected attacks against Hezbollah, the latest despite a ceasefire.
“Hezbollah’s continued violations of the ceasefire compel the IDF to operate against it. The IDF does not intend to harm you. For your safety, we urge you to distance yourself from the area and immediately move at least 1,000 meters away,” the military’s Arabic-language spokesman Avichay Adraee posted on X.
Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reported a new series of Israeli strikes targeting several locations in southern Lebanon on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Hezbollah said in a statement that it had targeted a gathering of soldiers and vehicles in northern Israel with “a swarm of attack drones.”
The Iran-backed militant group also claimed responsibility for new attacks against Israeli forces operating inside Lebanese territory.
The Israeli military said that following sirens in several areas of northern Israel, a drone “that crossed from Lebanon to Israeli territory was intercepted.”
Since the start of the ceasefire on April 17, Israel has continued to launch strikes, carry out demolitions and issue evacuation orders in south Lebanon, saying it is targeting the Iran-backed armed group.
Hezbollah has also continued operations against Israeli forces in southern Lebanon and northern Israel.
The latest warning comes as the death toll in the fighting between Israel and the Iranian-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon surpassed 3,000, according to the Lebanese health ministry.
The ministry said the toll is now 3,020 killed in the Israeli strikes, including 292 women and 211 children.
– with AFP
