Israel military issues evacuation warning for area of south Lebanon

Israel's military on Tuesday warned residents of more than a dozen villages and towns in southern Lebanon to immediately evacuate and head northwards, saying it would respond to Hizbollah's "violation of the ceasefire" there.

The military "does not intend to harm you, and out of concern for your safety, you are required to evacuate your homes immediately and move away from the specified area towards the Sidon District", Arabic-language spokesman Avichay Adraee posted on X.

"Anyone present near Hizbollah elements, their facilities or their weapons is endangering their life," he added.

All the areas listed in the post appear to be outside or on the border of the so-called "Yellow Line" -- a strip of Lebanese territory around 10 kilometres (six miles) deep along the border within which Israeli troops are operating.

Israel and Iran-backed Hizbollah have traded blame over violations of the fragile ceasefire in Lebanon agreed earlier this month, and attacks by both sides have continued.

In two incidents on Tuesday morning, the Israeli military said an interceptor was launched "toward a suspicious aerial target that was identified in an area where IDF forces are operating in southern Lebanon".

On both occasions, it said the target did not cross into Israeli territory.

The military also announced on Tuesday morning that one soldier had been severely injured and another lightly injured a day earlier "as a result of an explosive drone impact during operational activity in southern Lebanon".

"This incident constitutes a violation of the ceasefire understandings by the Hizbollah terrorist organisation," it said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday that Hizbollah's rockets and drones remained a key threat requiring action by the Israeli military, adding that Israel was continuing to carry out strikes.

Hizbollah drew Lebanon into the Middle East war on March 2 by firing rockets towards Israel to avenge the killing of Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei.

Agence France-Presse