Israel’s military has issued fresh evacuation orders for residents of more than 10 towns and villages in southern Lebanon, including several in Nabatieh district north of the Litani River, authorities and reporters said. The notices, circulated on social media, urged civilians to leave their homes immediately and move at least 1,000 metres into open areas, according to a post by the military’s Arabic-language spokesman on X.
Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reported a string of Israeli strikes across the south, some hitting locations not named in the evacuation messages. The new orders extend beyond areas where Israeli forces are currently concentrated, and come despite a fragile, US-brokered ceasefire that has been in place since April 17.
Israeli military leaders have signaled readiness to act beyond established control lines. During a visit to troops, the Israel Defence Forces’ chief of staff warned that threats against Israeli communities or forces would be addressed even ‘beyond the Yellow Line’ and north of the Litani. In recent days, two Israeli soldiers and an army contractor were killed in drone attacks in the area, and dozens of soldiers were reported wounded.
The United States has pushed for direct peace talks between Lebanon and Israel. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has said Israel must fully implement the ceasefire before formal negotiations can begin.
Reporting from Beirut, Al Jazeera’s correspondent described the US-brokered truce as largely nominal on the ground. He said Israeli forces continue to operate in the south with several divisions, carrying out strikes and demolitions, and noted that three towns have received evacuation orders for the first time — some located north of the Litani — which indicates a widening of Israel’s operational area.
Lebanon’s Ministry of Public Health said at least 10 people were killed in Israeli attacks across the country on Saturday. It gave the overall toll since the escalation of the Israel-Hezbollah conflict on March 2 as 2,659 dead and 8,183 injured.