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.
Iran said it was nearing a final pact with Oman defining new shipping lanes between them through the Strait of Hormuz but repeated that the U.S. must ...
At least 77 people were killed after a powerful earthquake struck western Colombia early on Monday, toppling buildings across several cities and leavi...
A consortium including Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is reportedly close to agreeing a deal to acquire a roughly one-third stake in Premier League club Li...
An agreement between Iran and the U.S. to reopen the Strait of Hormuz is expected "soon," a U.S. official has said. The deal would result in the resumption of commercial shipping through the sea passage and the lifting of an American naval blockade on Iranian ports.
Flights arriving at Catania airport in eastern Sicily were suspended after volcanic ash from a new eruption of Mount Etna drifted into the airspace around the airport, disrupting operations at one of Italy’s busiest aviation hubs.
A deal on a new route for vessels through the Strait of Hormuz is "very close," Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has said, while warning that the reopening of the waterway depends on the U.S. meeting other conditions, including paying compensation to Iran.
Iran said it was nearing a final pact with Oman defining new shipping lanes between them through the Strait of Hormuz but repeated that the U.S. must meet other conditions.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 9th of August, covering the latest developments.
Uzbekistan has secured preferential tariffs for fertiliser and petroleum product shipments through Kazakhstan’s Kuryk port to Georgian ports, as Uzbek cargo volumes across the Caspian continue to rise.
Police in eastern India used tear gas, batons and water cannon on Monday to disperse thousands of young protesters marching on the Jharkhand state legislature over alleged irregularities in civil service examinations.
Rising temperatures are threatening Georgia’s farms, energy supply and banking sector, with experts warning that the country has a narrow window to prepare before the economic costs grow significantly.
Pakistan is seeking to strengthen its energy security through a proposed Gulf oil storage scheme, $5 billion in refinery upgrades and renewed offshore exploration with Türkiye as global supply disruptions expose its reliance on imports.
Syria and Russia have signed a memorandum of understanding on the future of Russian bases at Tartous and Hmeimim after 18 months of negotiations, the Syrian foreign ministry said on Sunday.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment