The Israeli military began a series of “precision strikes” Wednesday on a town in southern Lebanon after warning residents to evacuate, saying the Iran-backed militia Hezbollah violated the standing ceasefire.
Casualties from the strikes are still unknown, and there was no immediate statement from the Israeli Defense Force or Hezbollah.
Ahead of the strikes, Lt. Col. Ella Waweya, the Arabic-language spokesperson for the Israeli military, wrote in a social media post that residents of Mansouri village, a coastal town, must evacuate to at least 1,000 meters away from the city. It was the first such notice in more than one month.
“Anyone present near Hezbollah elements, their facilities, and their combat means exposes their life to danger!” she wrote on X.
The IDF provided no evidence of Hezbollah’s alleged violation of the ceasefire.
The incident marks the first major evacuation notice issued by the Israeli military since June, when the IDF ordered the clearing of dozens of towns across southern Lebanon.
The strikes also come as the U.S. mediates technical talks between Lebanon and Israel in Rome over the deployment of “pilot zones,” which are intended to be safe from Israeli bombardment, and an eventual withdrawal of Israeli forces from the country.
The talks began on Tuesday and are expected to continue until Thursday.
Regional reporting suggests that the talks are gaining momentum. Still, the talks are limited in their effectiveness since Lebanon has no control over Hezbollah. The group has publicly refused to accept the terms of a deal they do not play a part in negotiating.
