Israel issues new evacuation orders for 26 towns in southern Lebanon

JERUSALEM

The Israeli army ordered civilians in 26 border towns in southern Lebanon on Sunday to evacuate immediately amid air and ground attacks on the country.

Military spokesman Avichay Adraee asked the Lebanese residents to leave their homes and move north of the Awali River.

The list of the targeted towns included Houla, Meiss Ej Jabal, and Majdal Selm.

The new evacuation orders came amid a massive Israeli aerial campaign against what Israel calls Hezbollah targets across Lebanon, killing at least 1,204 and injuring 3,411 others since Sept. 23. Tel Aviv also started a ground invasion of southern Lebanon on Oct. 1.

The military campaign was an escalation in a yearlong conflict between Israel and Hezbollah since the start of Tel Aviv’s brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip that has killed nearly 41,900 people, mostly women and children, since a Hamas attack last year.

At least 2,036 people have since been killed, over 9,600 injured, and 1.2 million others displaced, according to Lebanese authorities.

The international community has warned that Israeli attacks in Lebanon could escalate the Gaza conflict into a wider regional war.

* Writing by Ikram Kouachi