Israel calls for evacuation in Lebanon as ground raids begin
Jerusalem: The Israeli military on Tuesday warned people to evacuate nearly two dozen Lebanese border communities hours after announcing the start of “limited” ground operations against Hezbollah. The militant group denied Israeli troops had entered Lebanon.
Israel advised people to evacuate to the north of the Awali River, some 60 kilometres from the border and much farther than the Litani River, which marks the northern edge of a UN-declared zone that was intended to serve as a buffer between Israel and Hezbollah after their 2006 war.
“You must immediately head north of the Awali River to save yourselves, and leave your houses immediately,” said the statement posted by the Israeli military’s Arabic spokesperson, Avichay Adraee, on the platform X. The warning applied to communities south of the Litani. The border region has largely emptied out over the past year as the two sides have traded fire. But the scope of the evacuation warning raised questions as to how deep Israel plans to send its forces into Lebanon as it presses ahead with a rapidly escalating campaign against Hezbollah.
Anticipating more rocket attacks from Hezbollah, the Israeli army announced new restrictions on public gatherings and closed beaches.
An Associated Press reporter saw Israeli troops operating near the border in armoured trucks, with helicopters circling overhead, but could not confirm ground forces had crossed into Lebanon.
Ahead of the Israeli announcement of an incursion, U.S. officials on Monday said Israel had described launching small ground raids inside Lebanon as it prepared for a wider operation.
Neither the Lebanese army nor a UN peacekeeping force known as UNIFIL, which patrol southern Lebanon, have confirmed that Israeli forces entered. UNIFIL said any such cross-border operation would be a “dangerous development” and a violation of Lebanese sovereignty.
In its first statement since Israel announced the start of ground operations, Hezbollah spokesman Mohammed Afif dismissed what he said were “false claims” of an Israeli incursion.
