Israel Orders Evacuation of More Southern Lebanese Towns Amid Rising Displacement – Reuters

The Israeli military has directed residents of 22 villages in southern Lebanon to evacuate to areas north of the Awali River. This river flows from the western Bekaa Valley into the Mediterranean Sea.

The evacuation order, issued through a military statement, identifies villages that have recently faced Israeli attacks, many of which are nearly deserted. The military emphasized that these evacuations are essential for the safety of the residents, citing a rise in activities by Hezbollah. They allege that the group is hiding weapons and launching attacks against Israel from these locations, a claim that Hezbollah has denied.

Tensions between Israel and Hezbollah escalated significantly over the past month, particularly since the conflict reignited last year when Hezbollah began launching rockets at northern Israel in solidarity with Hamas during the Gaza war.

Intensified Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon, the Bekaa Valley, and the southern suburbs of Beirut have prompted about 1.2 million people to flee their homes since September 23, as reported by the Lebanese government.

According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the current number of displaced individuals in Lebanon now exceeds those displaced during the last major conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in 2006, when around one million people were forced to leave their homes.