The Israeli army ordered this Monday the forced evacuation of the Lebanese coasts south of the Awali River, located more than 50 kilometers from the border between Israel and Lebanonwhile continuing its offensive against the Shiite group Hezbollah in the country.
“Hezbollah’s activities force the army to act against it and the army will soon act in the maritime area. against the terrorist activities of Hezbollah“said the Arab spokesperson for the Israeli forces, Avichay Adraee, in a message.
Adraee asked civilians, especially swimmers or fishermen, to avoid being in the water off the Lebanese coast or even on the beaches south of Awali.
Since he started his invasion of southern Lebanonwhich Israel describes as “limited incursions” against Hezbollah infrastructure along the border, the country has requested the evacuation of more than a hundred Lebanese towns, including the town of Nabatieh, one of the most important of the region.
In any case, Israel asked civilians to head north to the Awali River, located more than 50 kilometers from the border.
The area is much further north than the Litani River (30 kilometers), which marks the demilitarized zone designated by the UN after the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah, where there should be no armed presence other than the authorities Lebanese and the United Nations mission. in the country (UNIFIL), which raises fears of an extension of the offensive.
Israel has been exchanging fire with the Shiite group Hezbollah across the Lebanese border for almost a year, and last Monday, after a week of intense bombardment against the south and east of the country, the send troops to southern Lebanon dismantle militia infrastructure.
Since then, at least eleven Israeli soldiers died in combat, according to figures released by the Israeli army.
Meanwhile, the intense Israeli bombingconcentrated mainly in the south and east of Lebanon but also in the capital Beirut, have already left more than 2,000 dead and a million displaced, according to the Lebanese authorities.
