Israel military issues fresh evacuation warnings for Lebanon

BEIRUT: 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 metres 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 Lebanese 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.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said on Monday he was ready to 'do the impossible' to stop the war with Israel, as the health ministry said Israeli strikes have killed more than 3,000 people. Aoun's comments came as the Israeli army carried out another series of strikes in south Lebanon, while Hezbollah said it had struck a military target in northern Israel.
Hezbollah has also continued operations against Israeli forces in south Lebanon and northern Israel, including what it said was a drone attack on Monday on 'the vehicle of the commander of the 300th Brigade of the Israeli enemy army'. The health ministry said the death toll from Israeli strikes since the start of the war on March 2 had reached 3,020, with 211 people 18 and under and 116 healthcare workers among those killed.
'The framework that Lebanon has set for the negotiations consists of an Israeli withdrawal, a ceasefire, the deployment of the army along the border, the return of the displaced, and economic aid,' Aoun said in a statement on Monday. 'My duty, based on my position and my responsibility, is to do the impossible, and to choose what is least costly, in order to stop the war against Lebanon and its people,' he added.
Last week the truce was extended for 45 days following a third round of talks between Lebanese and Israeli representatives in Washington, discussions to which Hezbollah is opposed. But the ceasefire has failed to stop the violence, with Hezbollah on Monday saying it had fired a drone at a military target in northern Israel.
Lebanon's state-run National News Agency reported a series of Israeli strikes across the south. The attacks came a day after Israeli strikes killed seven people in Lebanon, including a member of the group Palestinian Islamic Jihad in the country's northeast, far from the Israel-Lebanon border. Israeli soldiers have invaded and occupied part of south Lebanon, operating inside an Israeli-declared 'yellow line' that runs around 10 kilometres north of the border. They have carried out large-scale demolitions in the area. — AFP