The Israeli army has issued an emergency warning to residents of eight towns in southern Lebanon to leave their homes immediately due to upcoming airstrikes. These are areas outside the buffer zone, where Israeli units were stationed until recently, BTA reports.
Although a ceasefire was announced earlier this month, clashes between Israel and Hezbollah have not completely ceased, and tensions along the border remain extremely high.
The Israeli military did not specify the specific objectives of the operation, but such warnings to the civilian population are usually issued immediately before large-scale bombings.
The new escalation is developing against the backdrop of broader tensions in the Middle East, after the US and Israel launched strikes on Iranian targets. In response, Hezbollah, considered one of Tehran's main allies, has increased attacks on Israeli positions with rockets and drones.
Israel responded with strikes on the group's infrastructure and military facilities in Lebanon, causing further destruction in the south of the country and raising fears that the conflict could escalate into a full-scale regional war.