Israel warns southern Lebanese to evacuate after pre-emptive strike on Hezbollah
After launching a pre-emptive attack on Hezbollah, the Israel Defence Forces warned residents of southern Lebanon to evacuate their homes on Sunday morning.
A Hezbollah rocket barrage in northern Israel near the community of Neve Ziv on Aug. 25, 2024. Photo by Roni Egozi Aberman/TPS-IL
“We warn Lebanese civilians in southern Lebanon: we have identified that Hezbollah is firing extensively into Israeli territory near your homes—you are in danger. We are targeting and removing Hezbollah’s threats,” said IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari.
Hagari said the military struck was launched, “After we identified extensive preparation by the Hezbollah terrorist organization to fire toward the Israeli Home Front.”
The IDF said around 100 fighter jets attacked and destroyed thousands of Hezbollah launch sites ready to fire at northern and central Israel. Another 40 launching areas were struck.
Sirens wailed across northern Israel as Hezbollah fired more than 200 missiles and drones. One Israeli was moderately injured by shrapnel in the coastal city.
Defence Minister Yoav Gallant declared a “special situation,” giving the Home Front Command authorization to restrict public gatherings. Ben-Gurion Airport was temporarily closed during the pre-dawn hours, but operations resumed at 7:00 AM following a security assessment.
Speaking ahead of a Security Cabinet meeting at the IDF’s Tel Aviv headquarters, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, “The IDF has been operating with strength to thwart threats. It has eliminated thousands of rockets aimed at northern Israel and is thwarting many other threats, acting with great force both defensively and offensively.”
Nearly 80,000 Israelis were forced to evacuate their homes near the Lebanon border when Hezbollah began launching rockets and drones in October. Hezbollah leaders have said they will continue the attacks to prevent Israelis from returning to their homes. The attacks have killed 26 civilians and 19 soldiers on the Israeli side.
Since October 8, Hezbollah has launched more than 6,700 rockets and drones.
Israeli officials have been calling for Hezbollah to be disarmed and removed from southern Lebanon in accordance with UN Security Council resolution 1701, which ended the 2006 Second Lebanon War.
