ISTANBUL

The Israel army warned Wednesday it intends to strike bridges along the Litani River in southern Lebanon in the coming hours, in the latest Israeli escalation against Beirut.

In a statement on US social media company X, military spokesperson Avichay Adraee ordered residents “to immediately evacuate” ahead of the anticipated strikes.

He claimed there is activity by Hezbollah in the area, including the alleged movement of fighters toward southern Lebanon “under civilian cover,” renewing his warning to residents in areas south of the Zahrani River to leave their homes and head north of the river.

The Zahrani River, located north of the Litani, stretches about 25 kilometers and passes through towns in the Nabatieh and Sidon districts before flowing into the Mediterranean Sea south of Sidon.

The Israeli army has escalated its airstrikes across Lebanon in recent days amid cross-border attacks with Hezbollah, despite a ceasefire deal that has been in place since November 2024.

According to Lebanese authorities, at least 912 people have been killed and 2,221 injured in Israeli strikes across Lebanon since March 2.

The current escalation followed a joint US-Israeli offensive on Iran, which has killed around 1,300 people since Feb. 28. Tehran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, along with Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries, which it says are targeting “US military assets.”

*Writing by Mohammad Sio in Istanbul