The Israeli military on Monday issued a warning to residents of southern Lebanon, urging them to leave homes and buildings where Hezbollah stores weapons. The warning coincided with Israeli airstrikes against the militant group, marking an escalation in the conflict. This comes after Hezbollah launched 150 rockets, missiles, and drones at northern Israel in retaliation for Israeli strikes that killed a top Hezbollah commander and several fighters.
Despite the warnings, there were no immediate reports of mass evacuations from southern Lebanon. The conflict has raised fears of an all-out war, as Israel continues to engage both Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza. Hezbollah has pledged to continue its attacks in solidarity with Hamas, while Israel has emphasised its commitment to restoring calm along the Lebanese border.
Heavy airstrikes were reported in several areas of southern Lebanon on Monday, including the Byblos province, located 130 km north of the Israeli-Lebanese border, marking the first time the area had been hit since hostilities began in October. Strikes also targeted northeastern Lebanon, killing one shepherd and wounding several others.
Lebanese residents received text messages from the Israeli military urging them to leave buildings storing Hezbollah arms. However, Lebanon’s Information Minister, Ziad Makary, dismissed the messages as part of Israel’s “psychological war.”
The ongoing conflict has resulted in casualties on both sides, with hundreds of deaths in Lebanon and dozens in Israel. Hezbollah, an Iran-backed militant group, began its attacks on Israel following the Oct 7 Hamas-led assault on southern Israel, which killed over 1,200 people and led to the abduction of around 250 others.
As tensions continue to rise, Israel has vowed to push Hezbollah back from the border, with a focus on air operations to limit Hezbollah’s capacity to strike.