Israel issues evacuation warning for Lebanese civilians as it launches ‘extensive’ strikes

The Israeli military on Monday warned civilians in southern Lebanon to move away from Hezbollah positions as it intensified attacks on its neighbor.

“Shortly, the IDF will engage in extensive, precise strikes, against terror targets which have been embedded widely throughout Lebanon,” Israel Defense Forces spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said early Monday in a statement.

The warning is the first of its kind issued by the IDF in Lebanon, an Israeli military official told NBC News, adding the present campaign only involves aerial strikes.

Israel, the official said, wants to create safe conditions for its own citizens to return to the northern part of the country, and destroy Hezbollah’s infrastructure in southern Lebanon.

Hezbollah, a powerful militia and political organization, and the Israeli military have been trading fire since Hamas’ Oct. 7 terrorist attack, which killed some 1,200 people and saw some 250 kidnapped.

More than 41,000 have died in the ensuing war in the Gaza Strip, most of them civilians, according to health authorities there. About 100 hostages are believed to remain in captivity there, and ceasefire talks have failed to bring an end to the violence.

In his video statement, Hagari said Israel has already begun striking Hezbollah targets throughout the country.

He said the Iran-backed militia had been preparing to strike Israel, which followed the heavy exchange of fire over the border between Israel and Hezbollah on the weekend.

The video statement also showed a map of 19 towns and villages, mostly towards the south of Lebanon, which he said Hezbollah has used to “militarize” civilian infrastructure.

Israel has advised “civilians from Lebanese villages located in and next to buildings and areas used by Hezbollah for military purposes” to evacuate immediately, he said. “Move out of harm’s way immediately. Hezbollah is endangering you and your families,” he said.

Hagari did not mention if all the towns highlighted in his statement will be attacked.

According to the Lebanese state media, National News Agency, more than 80 airstrikes were launched by Israel in the morning.

The announcement comes amid the escalating conflict between Israel and Hezbollah which reached a new heights last week when pagers and walkie-talkies belonging to Hezbollah members exploded in a stunning Israeli operation.

A rare airstrike on Friday then killed at least 45 people in a densely populated suburb of Beirut, including Hezbollah’s senior members as well as dozens of civilians.

The militia responded with its own round of attacks with dozens of rockets hurled towards Israel in what was one of its deepest strikes since the war began.

While many of the 150 rockets, cruise missiles and drones launched by Hezbollah were intercepted by Israeli air defenses, the IDF said on Sunday, “there were a small number of cases of hits and interception debris falling on” Israeli territory.

The Israeli military is also looking into reports that Yahya Sinwar, the leader of Hamas, was killed in a recent Israeli airstrike, an Israeli official told NBC News. At this point, Israel does not have enough evidence to confirm his death or rule it out, the official said.

Suspicions that Sinwar might have been killed are based off Israeli intelligence that indicates he hasn’t communicated with the outside world in several weeks, the official said, but added there is no positive evidence of his death. 

The news was first reported by Axios.

Raf Sanchez reported from Tel Aviv, Israel and Mithil Aggarwal reported from Hong Kong.