The Israeli military has called for residents in about two dozen villages in southwest Lebanon, located within 30 kilometers (18 miles) of the border, to relocate approximately 50 kilometers (31 miles) further into the country.
“You must immediately move to the north of the Al-Awali River. Save your lives and evacuate your homes immediately,” said Israel Defense Forces Arabic spokesperson, Avichay Adraee, on Wednesday.
The Awali River lies to the north of Sidon and just south of Beirut. The area south of the river makes up roughly a quarter of Lebanon’s territory, with the affected villages mainly located in the southwest, near the city of Tyre.
This warning follows Tuesday’s evacuation orders for 27 villages and now extends further to the west in southern Lebanon.
Adraee reiterated previous calls for residents to avoid traveling by vehicle north of the Litani River toward southern Lebanon.
In the meantime, Iran asserted that it has “absolutely no interest in a broader war” following its missile attacks on Israel in response to the assassinations of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh.
Iranian government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani said Wednesday that Israel is responsible for the regional escalation and that Tehran is acting in self-defense.
Mohajerani added that despite public calls for retaliation, Iran showed restraint after Haniyeh’s assassination in Tehran in July, as it sought peace in Gaza.
Iran launched 200 ballistic missiles at Israel, many of which were intercepted, although some struck areas in Israel and the occupied West Bank, according to the Israeli military.
