Israel strikes south, orders residents to evacuate despite truce
The Israeli army ordered Tuesday the residents of 16 villages south of the Litani river to immediately evacuate and head northwards, as Israel expanded strikes on Lebanon despite a ceasefire.
The warning included the villages of Ghandourieh, Burj Qalaway, Qalaway, Sawaneh, Jmayjmeh, Safad al-Battikh, Baraashit, Shaqra, Aita al-Jabal, Tebnine, Sultanieh, Bir al-Salasel, Kfardounine, Kherbet Selem, Selaa, and Deirkifa.
"You are required to evacuate your homes immediately and move away from the specified area towards the Sidon District," the military's Arabic-language spokesman Avichay Adraee posted on X, adding that "anyone present near Hezbollah elements, their facilities, or their combat means is endangering their life."
Israeli strikes and shelling meanwhile targeted Houmine, Zawtar, Jibal al-Botom, al-Mansouri, Bouyout al-Siyyed, Majdalzoun, Touline, Kawnin, Burj al-Shamali, Shaqra, Yater, Baraashit and Tebnine in south Lebanon.
The health ministry said Israeli strikes on the south killed four people on Monday, including a woman, and wounded 51 others, including women and children.
The Israeli army said Tuesday that its troops have dismantled more than 1,000 infrastructure sites in south Lebanon used by Hezbollah to carry out attacks against Israeli forces.
It said a soldier was severely wounded and another lightly injured in a Hezbollah explosive drone attack in south Lebanon.
Hezbollah had said its fighters launched Monday several attacks on Israeli troops, including on an army bulldozer that it said was demolishing homes in the border town of Bint Jbeil.
Meeting with army commanders, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Hezbollah’s ability to fire into Israel has been sharply degraded, estimating the group retains about 10% of its arsenal.
Iran-backed Hezbollah is believed to still have tens of thousands of rockets, missiles and drones despite decades of efforts by Israel, U.N. peacekeepers and Lebanon’s government to disarm it. Despite Israeli pressure, it’s unclear whether Lebanese authorities have the capacity or political will to disarm Hezbollah.
Netanyahu said Israeli forces’ occupation of parts of southern Lebanon — which he described as a “security zone” — has made northern Israel safer. He said deals brokered with the U.S. and Lebanon gave Israel a “freedom of action” to counter threats inside that country. Beirut has not acknowledged any such right, and Hezbollah says it will keep firing as long as Israel does.
Israel's army released videos Monday showing troops operating in Lebanon, including coordinated explosions in unnamed villages. The wide scale of destruction has Lebanese officials and residents increasingly worried that displaced people will have nowhere to return.
