Israel orders evacuation of Lebanese villages: Israel asks residents of 22 villages in southern Lebanon to leave

The Israeli army on Saturday ordered residents of 22 southern Lebanese villages to evacuate north of the Awali River, which flows from the Bekaa Valley west into the Mediterranean Sea.

The order, which was announced through a military statement, refers to villages that have been the target of recent Israeli attacks in southern Lebanon, many of which are empty as- Yes.

The Israeli military said the evacuation was necessary for the safety of the residents due to increased Hezbollah activity. The group said they were using the sites to hide weapons and carry out attacks against Israel. Hezbollah denies that it was hiding weapons among civilians.

Tensions between Israel and Hezbollah have risen sharply in the past month, after erupting a year ago when the Iranian-backed group backed Hamas and began firing rockets into northern Israel at the start of the Gaza war.

Intensified Israeli attacks in southern Lebanon, the Bekaa Valley and the southern suburbs of Beirut have forced nearly 1.2 million people from their homes since September 23, the Lebanese government said.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said on Saturday that more people from Lebanon have now been displaced than the 1 million people who fled their homes during the last major war between Israel and Hezbollah in 2006.