Israel Urges Lebanese Civilians To Evacuate Homes As Widespread Airstrikes Target Hezbollah

Topline

The Israeli military on Monday said it conducted a series of “extensive” airstrikes targeting Hezbollah strongholds in southern Lebanon and urged civilians in the region to evacuate from their homes, a move that comes amid concerns of the conflict escalating into an all-out war.

Key Facts

Monday’s strikes are Israel’s most widespread wave of aerial bombardments against the Iran-backed militant ground in Lebanon in the ongoing conflict, Reuters reported.

The Israeli Defense Forces claimed to local media that it had struck over 150 Hezbollah targets in Lebanon in the latest wave of strikes, while Lebanese state media said strikes killed at least one person and injured six.

As Israel launched the strikes, IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari issued an “advanced warning” to civilians from Lebanese villages “located in and next to buildings and areas used by Hezbollah for military purposes…to immediately move out of harm’s way for their own safety.”

According to the New York Times, the IDF also published a map highlighting 19 villages and towns in southern Lebanon—but did not mention if all of them would be targeted or needed to be evacuated.

While Israel has issued multiple evacuation orders for civilians in Gaza amid its war against Hamas in the past year, this is the first time it has done so for Lebanese civilians—potentially signaling a more intense aerial campaign.

While Hagari told reporters the Israeli military is currently focused on the “aerial campaign only,” but did not explicitly rule out a ground invasion, saying “we will do whatever is needed.”

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Crucial Quote

In a statement on X, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said he spoke with U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Sunday evening and provided him with a “situation assessment of Hezbollah threats and briefed him on IDF operations to degrade Hezbollah’s ability to launch attacks against Israeli civilians. We also discussed the wider regional situation and the threats posed by Iran and its proxies.”