In an unprecedented move, the Israeli military issued a warning to civilians in southern Lebanon on Monday to evacuate “immediately” as it intensified its air strikes on the region, according to a report from NBC News.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said that the military would soon conduct “extensive, precise strikes” targeting what it claims to be Hezbollah’s military infrastructure.
“Civilians from Lebanese villages located in and next to buildings and areas used by Hezbollah for military purposes should move out of harm’s way immediately,” said IDF spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari in a video statement. This is the first time Israel has issued such a warning to civilians in Lebanon, a senior Israeli military official told NBC News.
The call for evacuation comes after weeks of heightened tensions along the Israel-Lebanon border, with both sides exchanging fire since the start of Israel’s war on Gaza.
Hagari claims that Hezbollah has embedded its forces within civilian areas in southern Lebanon. In the video, he shows a map of 19 towns and villages in which Israel claims Hezbollah has cached military equipment.
According to Lebanese media, Israel launched over 80 airstrikes Monday morning. The news follows a deadly airstrike on Friday that killed at least 45 people in a densely populated Beirut suburb, including senior Hezbollah members and civilians.
Hezbollah responded with a barrage of rocket attacks, sending over 150 projectiles, cruise missiles, and drones into Israeli territory. While many were intercepted by Israel’s air defense systems, some debris fell on Israeli soil, the IDF reported.
The escalating attacks between Israel and Hezbollah are sparking widespread concern over the potential war that could engulf an already vulnerable region.