Israel Expands Operations in South Lebanon, Orders Evacuations As Conflict Escalates

Israel’s military has issued evacuation orders to residents of over 20 additional towns in southern Lebanon as it intensified its cross-border incursion and targeted Hezbollah sites in a Beirut suburb.

This brings the total number of towns under evacuation orders to 70, with Nabatieh, the provincial capital, now included—signalling a potential new Israeli military operation against the Iran-backed Hezbollah.

Hezbollah retaliated with rocket strikes on Israel’s Sakhnin military base in Haifa Bay, while Israel continued its southern Lebanon ground operations following two weeks of airstrikes. Israel’s stated goal is to protect northern Israeli citizens displaced by Hezbollah’s bombardments, a conflict closely linked to the ongoing Gaza war.

More than 1.2 million Lebanese have been displaced, and almost 2,000 have been killed since the attacks began, according to Lebanese authorities. The World Health Organization also reported 28 healthcare worker deaths and highlighted concerns about delivering medical supplies due to flight restrictions.

Hezbollah claims to have repelled multiple Israeli incursions, while Israeli troops have reportedly crossed into Lebanese territory several times, only to be pushed back. Meanwhile, rocket sirens continue to blare in northern Israeli towns as the fighting escalates.

The Lebanese army, which typically remains on the sidelines, announced that two soldiers were killed by Israeli strikes in separate incidents, one involving a military post and the other a rescue mission with the Lebanese Red Cross.

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