DUBAI: Tens of thousands of Lebanese people have been displaced following evacuation orders put out by the Israeli military declaring 8 percent of the country’s land mass south of the Litani river as an active combat zone.
In a post on X, Israel’s Arabic military spokesperson called on residents of southern Lebanon “to immediately evacuate their homes and head north of the Litani River” to “guarantee their safety.”
The statement warned that “any movement to the south could put their lives in danger,” and that “anyone who is near Hezbollah members, facilities, or combat equipment is placing their life at risk.”
Lebanese Social Affairs Minister Haneen Sayed said that 83,847 displaced people had registered in shelters due to the Israeli evacuation warnings, noting that the number of shelter centers had reached 399 across Lebanon.
At least 72 people were killed and 437 others have been injured in Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon since Monday, when Hezbollah fired rockets into Israel following the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
