Israel escalates Lebanon strikes, urges evacuation amidst Hezbollah threat
On Tuesday, the Israeli army called for the immediate evacuation of residents from over 20 Lebanese towns near the border. "Every house used by Hezbollah for military purposes will become a target for attack," stated the spokesperson for the Israeli Defence Forces.
The Israeli military began an attack on southern Lebanon during the night from Monday to Tuesday, calling it "targeted and limited." The aim is to destroy fortified Hezbollah positions that pose a direct threat to the residents of northern Israel, emphasised the spokesperson in a published statement.
"Anyone who is near Hezbollah installations or its fighters is risking their life. One should expect that every house used by Hezbollah for military purposes will become a target," warned Arabic-speaking Israeli Defence Forces spokesperson Avichay Adraee on social media.
In recent days, the army has repeatedly warned civilians in various regions of Lebanon, including the eastern Bekaa Valley and southern Beirut, to immediately evacuate certain areas. The warnings preceded air raids on locations identified by Israel as Hezbollah positions.
As part of the "Northern Arrows" operation against Hezbollah, Israel has been intensively bombing Lebanon for over a week, emphasising that the strikes are aimed at Hezbollah positions. The objective of these actions is to secure the northern part of the country, from which about 60,000 people have been evacuated due to Hezbollah shellings that have occurred regularly since the autumn of 2023, following the outbreak of the war in the Gaza Strip.
Hezbollah planned an attack on northern Israel, similar to the Hamas attack on 7 October
Hezbollah has turned villages in southern Lebanon into military bases to use them for a planned invasion of northern Israel, modelled after the Hamas attack on 7 October 2023, stated the Israeli military spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Harari on Tuesday.
Hezbollah named this planned operation "the Conquest of Galilee", intending to invade Israeli towns and "murder innocent civilians: men, women, and children," it reads.
There is a communication from the Pentagon
US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said that he spoke with Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant and made it clear that the United States supports Israel's right to self-defence.
Disturbing words from the United Kingdom
"The situation in Lebanon could become 'much, much more dangerous'," warned the British Foreign Secretary, calling for Britons to leave the country.
In a video published online, David Lammy stated that the situation is "unstable and there is a risk of rapid deterioration."
Turkey called the attack an "illegal attempt to invade" Lebanon by Israel. "This attack is targeted at the safety and stability of the region and beyond. It must end immediately," stated the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Israel boasts of killing group commanders
The government in Beirut estimates that over a thousand people have died in the two weeks of attacks, and over a million Lebanese have had to leave their homes because of them.
Israel announced that it has eliminated a large part of Hezbollah's combat potential and killed almost all senior commanders of the group, including its leader, Hassan Nasrallah. Military and political leaders, however, emphasised the need to continue the operation.
Source: PAP/WP/X/Sky News
