Beirut (Diplomat.so) - Israel Defense Forces ordered residents of 12 villages and towns in southern Lebanon to evacuate immediately on Tuesday after accusing Hezbollah of violating an extended ceasefire agreement through renewed cross-border attacks.
The Israeli military said in a statement that Hezbollah activity near the frontier had forced Israeli forces to "act with strength” against what it described as militant positions inside Lebanese territory. Residents were instructed to leave their homes ahead of anticipated strikes, marking one of the largest evacuation warnings issued since the truce was extended last week.
Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reported extensive Israeli airstrikes across several southern villages beginning early Tuesday morning. Thick smoke was seen rising over parts of the Nabatieh and Bint Jbeil districts, according to local residents contacted by Diplomat News Network, with some families leaving in private vehicles as roads toward the north became increasingly congested.
Hezbollah announced separately that it had launched what it described as "a swarm of attack drones” targeting Israeli troop and vehicle concentrations in northern Israel. The Iran-backed group also claimed responsibility for additional attacks against Israeli forces operating inside what it called occupied Lebanese border villages.
The Israeli military later confirmed intercepting at least one drone that crossed into Israeli airspace from Lebanon. Israeli officials did not immediately provide details regarding casualties or material damage from the drone attack.
"We heard continuous aircraft activity since dawn, followed by loud explosions from the outskirts of nearby towns,” said Fadi Elias, a resident of southern Lebanon who spoke to Diplomat News Network by telephone after leaving the area with relatives. "People are worried the fighting could expand again despite the ceasefire.”
The escalation comes amid a wider regional conflict that intensified after the joint Israeli-American military operation against Iran on Feb. 28. Tensions spread to the Lebanese front after Hezbollah launched rockets toward Israel on March 2, saying the attack was retaliation for the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Israel responded with large-scale airstrikes across Lebanon and a ground incursion into sections of the southern border region. A ceasefire agreement reached on April 17 was originally scheduled to expire Sunday, but mediators announced a 45-day extension following a third round of U.S.-sponsored talks in Washington.
According to Lebanese authorities, Israeli attacks since March 2 have killed more than 2,900 people, including dozens after the initial truce took effect. The Israeli military says 20 soldiers and one civilian contractor have been killed in southern Lebanon since hostilities escalated.
Diplomatic observers say the renewed exchanges highlight the fragility of the ceasefire and the difficulty facing international mediators attempting to prevent the regional conflict from widening further.
