ISTANBUL

The Israeli army ordered residents of buildings in three villages in southern Lebanon on Thursday to evacuate their homes ahead of attacks, despite a ceasefire agreement in place since late 2024.

“Urgent warning to residents of southern Lebanon, we will attack in the near term military infrastructure belonging to Hezbollah across southern Lebanon,” military spokesman Avichay Adraee said on US social media company X.

Using maps to mark the targeted sites, he claimed that the strikes aim to thwart Hezbollah’s attempts to rebuild its capabilities in Aita al-Jabal, al-Taybeh, and Tayr Debba villages.

Tensions have been mounting in southern Lebanon for weeks, with the Israeli army intensifying near-daily air raids inside Lebanese territory despite the ceasefire deal that has been in place since November 2024, under the pretext of targeting Hezbollah members and infrastructure.

Israeli Channel 12 reported on Thursday that Tel Aviv is preparing for another possible round of fighting with Hezbollah.

The Israeli army has killed more than 4,000 people and injured nearly 17,000 in its attacks on Lebanon, which began in October 2023 and turned into a full-scale offensive in September 2024.