Israeli military orders residents in 22 southern Lebanese villages to evacuate

The Israeli military ordered residents of 22 southern Lebanese villages on Saturday to evacuate to areas north of the Awali river, which flows from the western Bekaa Valley into the Mediterranean.
The order, communicated via a military statement, mentions villages in southern Lebanon that have been recent targets of Israeli attacks, many of which are already almost empty.
The Israeli military stated that evacuations were necessary for the safety of residents due to increased Hizbullah activities, claiming the group is using sites to conceal weapons and launch attacks on Israel. Hizbullah denies concealing its weapons among civilians.
The conflict between Israel and Hizbullah, which erupted one year ago when the Iranian-backed group began launching rockets at northern Israel in support of Hamas at the start of the Gaza war, has dramatically escalated over the past month.
Intensified Israeli attacks in southern Lebanon, the Bekaa Valley and the southern suburbs of Beirut have forced approximately 1.2 million people from their homes since September 23rd, according to the Lebanese government.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said on Saturday that more Lebanese have now been displaced than during the last major war between Israel and Hizbullah in 2006, when around one million fled their homes.
The escalation in southern Lebanon comes as Taoiseach Simon Harris called on Israel must stop firing on United Nations peacekeepers.
Earlier this week, Israeli troops fired on UN headquarters in southern Lebanon, injuring two peacekeepers for the second time in as many days.
Mr Harris is to call for an immediate ceasefire in the region at the European Council.
On Wednesday, the Taoiseach discussed the Israeli activity on the Blue Line with US president Joe Biden in the Oval Office. He said the leaders agreed that the Blue Helmets must “always be afforded full protection”.
The Taoiseach has also been communicating with UN secretary general António Guterres.
In a statement, Mr Harris said: “Israel must stop firing on UN peacekeepers serving with Unifil in Lebanon. Israel must listen to the voice and the concerns of the international community.”
Mr Harris said he will be discussing the incidents with EU colleagues at next week’s meeting of the European Council.
[ Beirut under attack: ‘It’s a devastating thing for your mind and heart’Opens in new window ]
“I will be calling for an immediate ceasefire that can allow us to focus on implementation of UN Resolution 1701 and get people back to their homes,” Mr Harris said.
Meanwhile, Tánaiste Micheál Martin called on the international community to pressure Israel to stop its “reckless and intimidatory” activity.
Mr Martin said there had been a “serious intensification of IDF [Israel Defense Forces] hostility towards UN forces”.
The Chief of Staff of the Irish Defence Forces said Israel has to be accountable for “deliberate” and “direct fire” on UN outposts.
Lieutenant General Seán Clancy said the attacks were a “clear and egregious” violation.
“A round of a tank into an observer tower, which is a very small target, has to be very deliberate, and it is a direct fire,” he said.
“So from a military perspective, this is not an accidental act, it is a direct act.”
[ Why should Irish troops and their peacekeeping colleagues stay in Lebanon as war builds?Opens in new window ]
Israel’s military said two drones from Lebanon were detected late on Friday following sirens that sounded in central Israel, adding that no casualties had been reported.
The military successfully intercepted one drone as both “UAVs were monitored from the moment when they crossed the Lebanese border,” the army added in a statement.
However, one building in Herzliya sustained some damage, the Israeli military and police said in separate statements.
There was no immediate comment from Hizbullah on the drone attack. – Wires