The Israeli military carried out heavy airstrikes on south Lebanon on Thursday after issuing evacuation orders for three locations, saying Lebanese armed group Hezbollah was trying to rebuild its military capabilities there.
The orders and strikes came despite a ceasefire deal agreed a year ago that was meant to end more than a year of fighting between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah, and after months of the Lebanese army clearing Hezbollah sites in the south.
There was no immediate toll provided by the Lebanese health ministry from the afternoon airstrikes. Earlier Israeli strikes on Thursday killed one person, according to the health ministry.
Israeli military spokesperson Avichay Adraee issued the evacuation orders on X at 3 p.m. local time (1300 GMT) on Thursday, with maps showing three buildings in the villages of Aita al-Jabal, Al-Tayyiba and Tayr Debba.
The post ordered residents to keep a 500-meter (1,650-foot) distance from those locations. Lebanon's civil defence helped people evacuate the areas, the Lebanese state news agency said.
The airstrikes began about an hour later, sending thick plumes of smoke into the sky. While Israel has carried out frequent strikes targeting what it says are Hezbollah military sites and group members present in south Lebanon over the last year, they have rarely come with evacuation orders.
"Israel will continue to defend all of its borders, and we continue also to insist on the full enforcement of the ceasefire agreement between Lebanon and Israel," Israeli government spokesperson Shosh Bedrosian told reporters on Thursday.
Bedrosian said Israel will not allow Hezbollah to rearm or to recover the military strength that was shattered by Israel's ground and air war in 2023-24.
Hezbollah said on Thursday it was committed to the ceasefire, but that it retained a "legitimate right" to resist Israel. It has not fired on Israel since the truce deal came into force last year.
The evacuation warnings coincided with a meeting of Lebanon's cabinet to hear an update from army commander Rodolphe Haykal on progress in confiscating Hezbollah arms depots in south Lebanon.
U.S. President Donald Trump delivered a wide-ranging address from the White House in which he sought to highlight what he described as his administrat...
Emirati investment has become a central element of Azerbaijan’s renewable energy ambitions, prompting fresh focus on whether recent high-level visit...
Mounting U.S.-China tensions are heightening concerns about miscalculation, with political distrust increasingly shaping how both sides respond to eme...
Germany has confirmed a 43 million tonne lithium carbonate equivalent resource in the Altmark region, fuelling expectations that Europe could reduce s...
EU leaders meeting with Western Balkan counterparts in Brussels are working to refocus the bloc’s agenda on enlargement, with discussions heavily fe...
U.S. President Donald Trump delivered a wide-ranging address from the White House in which he sought to highlight what he described as his administration’s achievements while laying the groundwork for his plans for the year ahead and beyond, on Wednesday (18 December).
European Union and Western Balkans leaders met in Brussels on Wednesday for a high-level summit aimed at strengthening strategic ties and advancing the EU enlargement agenda.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen delivered a strong message against antisemitism on Wednesday during a Hanukkah celebration in Brussels.
Uzbekistan has increased up electricity exports to Tajikistan as part of wider regional efforts to stabilise energy supplies during periods of seasonal shortage and reduced water availability.
Cambodia must be the first to declare a ceasefire in the ongoing border conflict, Thailand said on Tuesday (16 December), as fighting continued despite earlier claims that hostilities would stop and at least 52 people have been killed on both sides.
The latest clashes between Thailand and Cambodia mark a dangerous escalation in one of Southeast Asia’s oldest and most sensitive disputes.
U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed that his administration is examining whether Israel violated the Gaza ceasefire agreement by conducting an airstrike on Saturday (13 December) that killed Hamas leader Raad Saad.
In the complex world of international diplomacy, the ongoing tensions between India and Pakistan have raised significant questions about the role of third-party mediation.
The fourth European Conference on Azerbaijani Studies was held in Vienna, Austria, on 5 December, by the European Network for Azerbaijani Studies and the Strategic Consultancy Group.
Emirati investment has become a central element of Azerbaijan’s renewable energy ambitions, prompting fresh focus on whether recent high-level visits were also aimed at accelerating a shift beyond oil and gas.
A major financing agreement has been signed for the construction of the China–Kyrgyzstan–Uzbekistan railway, a flagship cross-border infrastructure project expected to reshape transport connectivity across Central Asia.
Uzbekistan has increased up electricity exports to Tajikistan as part of wider regional efforts to stabilise energy supplies during periods of seasonal shortage and reduced water availability.
Iran has summoned the ambassador of Republic of Cyprus Petros Nacouzis over remarks made by his country regarding Iran’s territorial integrity.
Kyrgyzstan has joined the TRACECA multilateral permit system, a move analysts say will deepen regional integration, cut transport costs and ease cross-border trade, opening new routes to Europe and the Black Sea.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment