Israeli Army Issues Evacuation Warning for South Lebanon's Tyre City
In a statement posted on X, Israeli army Arabic-language spokesperson Avichay Adraee warned residents of Tyre and surrounding camps and neighborhoods to leave immediately and move north of the Zahrani River.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – The Israeli army on Wednesday issued an evacuation warning for residents of the southern Lebanese city of Tyre and nearby areas, saying it was preparing to strike Hezbollah targets amid escalating cross-border hostilities despite an existing ceasefire.
In a statement posted on X, Israeli army Arabic-language spokesperson Avichay Adraee warned residents of Tyre and surrounding camps and neighborhoods to leave immediately and move north of the Zahrani River.
“Urgent warning to the residents of the city of Tyre and the surrounding camps and neighborhoods as shown on the map — In light of the terrorist Hezbollah organization violating the ceasefire agreement and targeting Israeli territory, the IDF is compelled to act forcefully against it,” Adraee wrote.
He added that the Israeli military did not intend to harm civilians and urged residents to evacuate for their safety ahead of the planned strikes.
The warning came as tensions sharply escalated in southern Lebanon. Hezbollah said its fighters clashed with Israeli forces beyond an Israeli-declared “yellow line” in south Lebanon on Wednesday, a day after Israel announced it was expanding its ground operations in the area.
Israel has vowed to intensify military operations in Lebanon ahead of scheduled talks on Friday between Lebanese and Israeli military delegations at the Pentagon, as well as a new round of direct negotiations next week aimed at ending the hostilities.
On Tuesday, Israeli forces intensified strikes on southern and eastern Lebanon, issuing evacuation warnings for at least 50 towns and villages. Lebanese authorities said at least 31 people were killed in the attacks, while Hezbollah continued launching attacks against Israeli positions.
The latest escalation comes despite a ceasefire agreement reached after months of clashes between Israel and Hezbollah along the Lebanon-Israel border following the outbreak of the Gaza war in October 2023. Since then, repeated exchanges of fire and periodic Israeli airstrikes have continued to fuel instability in southern Lebanon, raising fears of a broader regional conflict.