The Israel Defense Forces issued an evacuation warning for residents of Lebanon living south of the Litani River, a large and densely populated area of the country’s south.
First aid responders are seen at the site of an Israeli airstrike that targeted the Palestinian refugees camp of Ain al-Helweh, in Sidon, Lebanon, on Sunday. Mahmoud Zayyat / AFP via Getty Images
The IDF said it is targeting the area with “great force” due to the presence of militants from the Iranian-backed group Hezbollah.
“For your safety and the safety of your families, you must move immediately to the north of the Litani River,” an IDF spokesperson said in a statement. “Staying south of the Litani River could endanger your life and the lives of your families.”
The warning comes after the IDF previously issued evacuation notices for neighborhoods in Lebanon’s capital, Beirut, as it conducted strikes on Hezbollah targets.
The United Nations Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner warned this week that Israel’s blanket displacement orders in Lebanon have affected hundreds of thousands of people and added to the suffering of an already strained population.
“These warnings and displacement orders issued for the south of Lebanon reportedly affected more than 100 towns and villages — home to tens of thousands of people, and risk affecting many more,” the office said. “In addition, on Thursday, the Israeli army urged the complete evacuation of almost the entire southern suburb of Beirut, creating fear and panic among residents, as well as the Bekaa region in eastern Lebanon.”
