Israel’s military issued new evacuation orders for southern Lebanon on Sunday, ordering residents to leave seven towns that lie beyond the “buffer zone” it occupied before a ceasefire. A spokesperson for the Israeli military said in a statement on X that Lebanese armed group Hezbollah was violating the ceasefire and that Israel would act against it, telling people to head north and west away from the towns.
The towns are north of the Litani River and the zone in southern Lebanon occupied by Israeli troops, who have continued military operations despite the ceasefire. “From our perspective, what obliges us is the security of Israel, the security of our soldiers, the security of our communities,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said at a cabinet meeting in Jerusalem.
“We act vigorously according to the rules we agreed upon with the United States, and also, by the way, with Lebanon.” Hezbollah said it would not cease its attacks on Israeli troops inside Lebanon and on towns in northern Israel as long as Israel continued its “ceasefire violations.”
The Iranian-backed group added in a statement that it would not wait for diplomacy that has proven ineffective or rely on Lebanese authorities that had failed to protect the country. The Israeli military said it had intercepted three drones before they crossed into Israeli territory, after sirens sounded in northern Israel.
Earlier on Sunday, Hezbollah said it had attacked Israeli troops inside Lebanon as well as the rescue force that came to evacuate them. The U.S.-mediated ceasefire, which started on April 16 and has been extended to mid-May, has brought a significant reduction in hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, though both sides have continued to fire at each other, trading blame over breaches.
More than 2,500 people have been killed in Israeli strikes since the most recent war between Hezbollah and Israel began on March 2, days after the US and Israel launched strikes against Iran. The toll includes 274 women, 177 children, and 100 medics, according to the latest figures released by Lebanon’s health ministry.
The ministry does not distinguish between militants and civilians, and Hezbollah has not announced a total toll of its fighters. The group has buried dozens of fighters in recent days.