IDF orders more towns to evacuate in Lebanon as rocket barrages target northern Israel

IDF orders more towns to evacuate in Lebanon as rocket barrages target northern Israel

Emanuel Fabian

As it continued its airstrikes in Lebanon and ground offensive against Hezbollah in the country’s south, the Israel Defense Forces said Thursday that in the past day, its forces had killed some 60 Hezbollah operatives, while the air force had struck more than 200 targets.

It also called on residents of 25 villages in southern Lebanon to evacuate immediately and head north. Among the list of cities, towns, and villages is Nabatieh, one of the largest cities in southern Lebanon. Nabatieh and several other villages on the list are north of the Litani River — the first time Israel has ordered evacuations north of the body of water seen as a strategic line.

At the same time, over 75 rockets were fired by Hezbollah Thursday morning at northern Israel, setting off sirens in the cities of Safed, Tiberias and numerous other communities in the Galilee and forcing residents to take cover in shelters.

Many of the rockets were intercepted, the army said, while others hit open areas. There were no immediate reports of casualties.

Several drones were also launched from Lebanon at northern Israel on Thursday. The IDF said two were shot down over the Western Galilee, while another was intercepted over the sea off the coast of Nahariya. A fourth landed in an open area near Nahariya, according to the military, causing no injuries.

Earlier in the morning, an explosive drone from Lebanon impacted in the northern Golan Heights. The IDF did not immediately provide further details on the incident.

Meanwhile, Iranian media reported that a consultant with Iran’s Revolutionary Guards had died of injuries sustained in an alleged Israeli air attack in the Syrian capital Damascus on Monday. It identified the consultant as Majid Divani, without giving further details.

As the army instructed Lebanese residents to leave communities, Col. Avichay Adraee, the IDF’s Arabic-language spokesman, said in a statement on X: “Hezbollah’s activity forces the IDF to act against it. The IDF does not wish to harm you. For your safety, you must evacuate your homes immediately. Anyone who is near Hezbollah operatives, their facilities or their weapons, puts themselves at risk.”

The Lebanese civilians were urged to evacuate and head north. “Attention, do not move south! Any movement south could endanger your life,” the statement said, adding that it would update the civilians when they can return.

On Wednesday, the IDF issued similar orders to 24 other villages in southern Lebanon, and the day before that, warned a further 28. The military has also warned vehicles must not cross the Litani River in a southbound direction.

The military has described the ground operations in southern Lebanon as “limited, localized, and targeted raids,” with the goal of demolishing Hezbollah’s infrastructure in the border area. Officials have said that the military intends for the operations to end as quickly as possible.

Overnight, some 15 Hezbollah operatives holed up at the town hall of southern Lebanon’s Bint Jbeil were killed in an Israeli airstrike, the military said. According to the IDF, fighter jets struck the Bint Jbeil town hall in a joint operation with the 36th Division after several Hezbollah operatives were identified there. The military said the building was used by Hezbollah to store weapons.

In another joint operation, an IAF drone struck and killed a cell of Hezbollah operatives who were identified by troops of the 36th Division launching rockets at Israel.

On Thursday morning, two Hezbollah operatives opened fire at Golani soldiers in southern Lebanon and a short while later, artillery forces identified the pair and directed an IAF drone to strike and kill them. No soldiers were hurt in the incident, according to the IDF.