The Israeli military said on Wednesday that it had begun carrying out airstrikes in southern Lebanon in response to what it described as a “serious violation” by the Iran-backed Hezbollah group.
The strikes came one day after the latest round of U.S.-mediated talks between Israel and Lebanon, held in Rome, Italy.
Earlier in the day, the Israeli military issued an evacuation warning to residents of the southern Lebanese town of Al-Mansouri, stating that it would take action against Hezbollah positions in the area.
According to the Israeli military, this was the first online evacuation warning issued for a location in Lebanon in more than a month.
In late June, Israeli forces also dropped leaflets over the town urging residents to leave after Israel included Al-Mansouri within a unilaterally declared buffer zone in southern Lebanon, a senior Lebanese military official previously told Reuters.
Despite the presence of Israeli forces in nearby areas, some Lebanese farmers have continued traveling to their fields and homes in towns across southern Lebanon.
On June 26, Lebanon and Israel reached U.S.-brokered security arrangements aimed at reducing hostilities along the border. However, Israel has maintained that it intends to keep a security zone in southern Lebanon, saying it is necessary to eliminate what it considers the threat posed by Hezbollah.
Source: Reuters
