Israel has issued further evacuation orders and targeted a new site in northern Lebanon on Saturday amid the intensifying conflict, marking a troubling escalation.
Reports indicate that Israeli strikes across three areas in Lebanon resulted in at least five fatalities and 15 injuries, with one of the targeted locations being the previously untouched town of Deir Billa.
On the same day, the Israeli military instructed residents of 23 villages in southern Lebanon to evacuate to areas north of the Awali River, which runs from the Bekaa Valley to the Mediterranean Sea.
This order, communicated through a military statement, cited the need for civilian safety amid increased activities by Hezbollah, which Israel alleges uses these locations to hide weapons and launch attacks. Hezbollah has denied these accusations.
In addition to the military actions, a third member of the UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) was wounded by gunfire on Friday.
The peacekeeper underwent surgery and is now in stable condition.
UNIFIL reported that its position in the southern town of Ramyah sustained significant damage from explosions related to nearby shelling, though it did not specify the parties responsible.
The ongoing conflict between Israel and Hezbollah has intensified over the past month, exacerbated by Hezbollah’s rocket attacks on northern Israel in solidarity with Hamas at the onset of the Gaza conflict.
This violence has led to the displacement of approximately 1.2 million people in Lebanon since September 23, according to Lebanese government estimates.
As of Friday, the Lebanese Health Ministry reported the death toll had reached 2,255 since the hostilities began.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs highlighted that the current displacement figures have surpassed those from the last significant conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in 2006, which saw around 1 million people flee their homes.
