Israeli army warns Lebanese to avoid buildings storing Hezbollah weapons

ISTANBUL

The Israeli army on Monday morning warned residents of villages in southern Lebanon to avoid staying in buildings containing Hezbollah weapons and called on them to immediately move away from such areas.

“We advise civilians from Lebanese villages located in and next to buildings and areas used by Hezbollah for military purposes, such as those used to store weapons, to immediately move out of harm's way for their own safety,” the military said in a statement.

The Israeli Army Radio said the military has attacked more than 150 targets in Lebanon using dozens of fighter jets on Monday morning.

“The planned strikes are expected to be more significant than Sunday's and will continue for an extended period,” the Israeli daily Haaretz reported, quoting a military statement.

Earlier, a man was killed and his two family members were injured in Israeli airstrikes on Bodai town in eastern Lebanon, according to Lebanon’s official news agency.

The agency added that four others were injured in the strike and were transferred to local hospitals.

The broadcaster had earlier reported that at 6:30 a.m., Israeli fighter jets conducted over 80 airstrikes within a 30-minute period, striking regions and valleys between the towns of Ansar and Zrariyeh in the Nabatieh Governorate in southern Lebanon.

Simultaneously, at 6:30 a.m., Israel carried out a series of heavy airstrikes targeting the Beqaa region, hitting areas around Chmistar, Bodai, Nabi Chit, and the outskirts of Baalbek in eastern Lebanon.

Several airstrikes also targeted the outskirts of Zboud in northern Beqaa, the mountainous regions of Hermel, and Jabal Safi in western Beqaa, according to the news agency.

The report noted that Israeli warplanes also conducted heavy strikes on areas east of Tyre, as well as an airstrike on the Litani River at the southern edge of Dlafy in southern Lebanon.

Tension has mounted between Hezbollah and Israel following a deadly airstrike on Friday that killed at least 45 people, including children and women, and injured dozens in Beirut’s southern suburb.

Hezbollah confirmed that at least 16 of its members, including senior leader Ibrahim Aqil and top commander Ahmed Wahbi, were killed in the Israeli strike.

The attack came two days after at least 37 people were killed and over 3,000 others injured in two waves of wireless communication device explosions across Lebanon.

While the Lebanese government and Hezbollah blame Israel for the explosions, Tel Aviv has not denied or confirmed its involvement.

Hezbollah and Israel have been engaged in cross-border warfare since the start of the Israeli war on Gaza, which has killed over 41,400 people, mostly women and children, following a cross-border attack by Hamas on Oct. 7 last year.

*Writing by Mohammad Sio​​​​​​​