Israeli Army Issues Evacuation Warnings for Nine South Lebanon Villages Ahead of Strikes

The Israeli army issued evacuation warnings for nine south Lebanon villages on Saturday ahead of expected attacks against alleged Hezbollah targets despite a truce with Lebanon intended to halt the fighting.

“Israeli army issues evacuation warning for nine south Lebanon villages The Israeli military called on residents of more than half a dozen villages in southern Lebanon to immediately evacuate on Saturday ahead of expected attacks against alleged Hezbollah targets despite a truce with Lebanon intended to halt the fighting”

Naharnet

In an Arabic-language post on X, Israeli military spokesman Avichay Adraee said, "For your safety, you must evacuate your homes immediately" and told residents to stay away from villages and towns by no less than 1,000 meters to open areas.

Naharnet

Naharnet reported that the Israeli military said it struck more than 85 Hezbollah infrastructure sites "from the air and on the ground" in the past 24 hours, including an underground Hezbollah weapons production site in the Beqaa valley in eastern Lebanon.

Lebanese authorities reported 11 people killed in Israeli strikes on the south on Friday, while the Times of Israel said at least 12 people were reported killed in Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon on Saturday.

The Times of Israel also said the Israel Defense Forces carried out strikes on Hezbollah infrastructure in southern Lebanon after issuing evacuation warnings to the villages of Tayr Debba, Aabbasiyyeh, Burj Rahal, Maaroub, Barish, Arzoun, Jannata, Zrariyeh, and Ain Baal.

The Times of Israel said Hezbollah launched several salvos of explosive-laden drones and rockets at Israeli forces on Saturday, and it reported that three reservists were wounded by Hezbollah explosive drones.

It described one drone striking Israeli territory close to the border with Lebanon and seriously injuring a reservist soldier, who was taken to Galilee Medical Center where the seriously wounded soldier underwent surgery and was now stable in the intensive care unit.

The Guardian

In parallel, the Times of Israel reported that Lebanese media said Israeli airstrikes on Saturday killed at least 12 people, including in areas where no evacuation orders were issued, and it cited the National News Agency reporting three people killed when a strike hit a car on a road between Burj Rahal and Aabbasiyyeh.

Al Jazeera Net reported that Israel’s bombardment across Lebanon since dawn on Wednesday killed 254 people and wounded 1,165 others, citing Lebanon’s General Directorate of Civil Defense.

The same Al Jazeera Net account said Lebanese Health Minister Rakan Nasser al-Din told Al Jazeera that ambulances were still transporting victims to hospitals and that hospitals were overwhelmed with martyrs and the wounded.

The Naharnet account said the ceasefire agreement in effect since mid-April was intended to halt fighting, but it also described Israeli forces and Iran-backed Hezbollah trading fire daily, mostly in southern Lebanon.

“At least 12 people were reported killed in Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon on Saturday, as the military said that three reservists were wounded by Hezbollah explosive drones”

The Times of Israel

The Times of Israel said Hezbollah and Israel have continued to attack each other since US President Donald Trump first announced a ceasefire on April 16, which has now largely unraveled, though fighting remains at a lower level than before.

In a separate thread of escalation, Al Jazeera Net said Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir stated the army would continue its raids on Lebanon without pause, while Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said Israel was determined to separate the war with Iran from the fighting in Lebanon.

The Guardian described a broader pattern of forced evacuation and displacement, saying Israel ordered roughly 14.3% of Lebanon’s territory to be vacated and that it displaced more than 1.2 million people from their homes.

The Guardian also quoted shop owner Ahmad Abu Taam from Taybeh saying, "You feel a deep sense of frustration. Like someone has the power to erase you," as it reported at least 2,154 buildings damaged or destroyed across Lebanon.