'Get out immediately': Israel issues first warning to Lebanese civilians
The Israeli military has issued a warning to civilians in Lebanon, urging them to evacuate homes and other buildings where Hezbollah stores weapons as it was carrying out "extensive strikes" against the group. This is the first such advisory given by Israel since the conflict in Gaza began last year. It was not immediately known how many people would be impacted by the orders, but the near-daily exchanges of fire have largely emptied communities on both sides of the border.
Israeli spokesman details potential threats
Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, an Israeli military spokesman, detailed the potential threats during a media briefing. He advised Lebanese civilians living near buildings and areas used by Hezbollah for military purposes to "immediately move out of harm's way for their own safety." Hagari revealed that the Israeli military had initiated new strikes against Hezbollah sites since Monday morning. He further stated that these strikes will continue in the near future.
New strikes launched against Hezbollah sites
In a separate briefing, an unidentified military official stated that Israel is concentrating on aerial operations and has no immediate plans for ground operations. He outlined the operation's primary goal as aiming to "degrade threats" from Hezbollah. The secondary objective is to push Hezbollah back from the border, and the third aim is to destroy infrastructure near the border constructed by Hezbollah's elite Radwan Force.
Pre-emptive strikes curb Hezbollah's rocket fire
The official stated that Israel's "pre-emptive" strikes have already impeded Hezbollah's ability to launch rockets. He noted, "We've been doing it for already a long time, but we are doing it extensively in the last couple of days and also yesterday, and that's one of the reasons that the numbers (of rockets fired) are down." Israel accuses Hezbollah of transforming large southern villages into militant bases equipped with hidden missile launchers and other infrastructure.
Lebanon reels from wave of deadly explosions
Lebanon is grappling with a series of deadly explosions that have killed 37 people and injured more than 3,000 in recent days. The blasts were caused by handheld pagers and walkie-talkies, believed to be used by Hezbollah members. While Israel has not officially confirmed responsibility, Hezbollah claims that the devices were booby-trapped by Israel. Hezbollah has pledged to continue its strikes in solidarity with the Palestinians and Hamas, while Israel says it is dedicated to restoring peace along the border.
