Israeli army declares 2 northern areas closed military zone due to ‘security situation’

The Israeli army announced Friday that it declared the northern areas of Rosh Hanikra and Achziv a closed military zone, citing a “security situation.”

The army said in a statement that the decision took effect at 9.20 pm local time (1920GMT) following a security assessment and warned that entry into the area was “strictly prohibited.”

The order was signed by Northern Command chief Rafi Milo, according to the statement.

Air raid sirens have sounded seven times across northern Israel since early Friday due to drone infiltrations and rocket launches from southern Lebanon.

Hezbollah drones, particularly fiber-optic models that are harder to detect, have become a growing concern for Israel in recent weeks.

In late April, Netanyahu acknowledged that Hezbollah missiles and drones represented “two major threats” facing Israel and urged the military to develop solutions.

Since March 2, Israeli attacks on Lebanon have killed more than 2,950 people, injured nearly 9,000, and displaced more than 1.6 million -- about one-fifth of the country’s population, according to Lebanese officials.