Israeli military urges residents in southern Lebanon to evacuate amid operations against Hezbollah

1 min read Updated: May 3, 2026 07:12 PM IST Smoke rises following several Israeli airstrikes that hit without previous warning Beirut's southern suburbs and central Beirut, Lebanon. (AP Photo) The Israeli military issued an urgent warning on Sunday to residents of 11 towns ⁠and ​villages in southern Lebanon, urging them to evacuate their homes and move at ​least 1,000 ​metres (3,300 feet) away ⁠to open areas. The military said it was ‌conducting operations against Hezbollah following what it described as a violation of their ceasefire agreement, warning that anyone near ⁠Hezbollah fighters or ⁠facilities could be at risk. Israel has continued ⁠to ‌carry out ​strikes across southern Lebanon, ‌and its troops are occupying a strip ‌of the ​country’s south, ​destroying ​homes they describe as infrastructure being used by ​Hezbollah. The Iran-backed militant ⁠group has kept up its drone and rocket attacks against ‌Israeli ⁠troops in Lebanon and on northern Israel.