It was the first such warning issued to Lebanese people by Israel's military since the war in Gaza erupted nearly a year ago. Lebanon's Hezbollah says its rocket and other fire into Israel is an act of support for Gaza's Palestinian Hamas militants.
"We advise civilians from Lebanese villages located in and next to buildings and areas used by Hezbollah for military purposes, such as those used to store weapons, to immediately move out of harm's way for their own safety," Israeli military spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said in a media briefing.
"The IDF (military) will engage in (more) extensive and precise strikes against terror targets which have been embedded widely throughout Lebanon."
Hagari said the military had launched new strikes against Hezbollah sites since Monday morning.
"The strikes will go on for the near future," he said.
In a separate briefing to journalists, a military official emphasised that the appeal made to Lebanese people was the first of its kind.
"This the first time that we do this kind of warning in that way," said the official, who cannot be further identified under military rules.
"If you are in a house where there is a rocket or a cruise missile, get out immediately," the official said, adding that the military was "monitoring from the air" to gauge compliance.
"We are giving them an advance warning. Get out of the house. We are aiming only on the capabilities of the rockets, on the missiles, launchers, etc," he said.
The official also said the Israeli military was currently only focused on an "aerial campaign".
The first goal of the operation, he said, was to "degrade threats" from Hezbollah, while the second was to push Hezbollah back from the border and the third was to destroy infrastructure built near the border by Hezbollah's elite Radwan Force.
He said Israel's "pre-emptive" strikes had already hindered Hezbollah's ability to fire rockets.
"We've been doing it for already a long time, but we are doing it extensively in the last couple of days and also yesterday, and that's one of the reasons that the numbers (of rockets fired) are down," he added.
Mourners at commander's funeral express loyalty to Hezbollah
Beirut, Lebanon (AFP) Sept 22, 2024 -
Hezbollah supporters in Lebanon turned out in force Sunday for the funeral of a top commander killed in an Israeli air strike, in a major show of support for the Iran-backed group.
Hezbollah has hailed commander Ibrahim Aqil as "one of its great leaders", saying the 61-year-old died in an "Israeli assassination... in Beirut's southern suburbs" on Friday.
Aqil headed Hezbollah's elite Radwan unit, and had been on a US sanctions list for nearly a decade.
Israel said Friday's "targeted strike" killed Aqil and several other commanders in the Radwan Force.
Men and women, many wearing black, gathered for the packed ceremony in the southern suburbs of the Lebanese capital where Hezbollah enjoys steadfast support.
Some mourners carried photos of Hezbollah members who have been killed.
Fighters in fatigues and red berets lined up while others carried Aqil's coffin and that of another Hezbollah member, both covered in the group's yellow flag, as a brass band played.
Security was tight, with the immediate area surrounded by metal fencing.
Amira Makki, 60, told AFP she was attending the funeral "to say that we are all with" Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.
"We sacrifice our children and grandchildren for him," she said, carrying a photo of her brother and brother-in-law who were killed by Israeli fire in recent months.
Nearby, a woman who identified herself only as Fatima said that attending Aqil's funeral was a "duty".
"Every martyr protects us... and if not for our men's sacrifices, we wouldn't be here," the 26-year-old said.
"We are in... a fateful battle," she told AFP.
- Fingers on the trigger' -
One poster near the procession read: "We will not abandon Palestine", a reference to Hezbollah's position that only a ceasefire in the Gaza war will put an end to its attacks on Israel.
Hezbollah has traded near daily cross-border fire with Israeli forces in support of Hamas since the Palestinian militant group's October 7 attack triggered the Gaza war.
Tensions and violence spiked dramatically this week, with heavy Israeli strikes on south Lebanon and Hezbollah firing rockets at Haifa in north Israel this weekend, raising fears of all-out war.
Addressing the funeral, Hezbollah deputy chief Naim Qassem said the group was "ready to face all military possibilities" in its battle with Israel.
The crowd interrupted his speech with intermittent chants of "Death to America, death to Israel!" and expressions of devotion to Nasrallah.
Qassem said Aqil was "a commander of Hezbollah operations" and had established the Radwan Force and its leadership in 2008.
Friday's strike targeted an underground meeting of commanders of the force, killing 16 of them.
Lebanon's health ministry has put the overall death toll from the Israeli air strike at 45 people including civilians.
Hezbollah has said a second senior commander, Ahmed Wahbi, was also among the dead.
After the funeral ceremony, mourners walked near the coffins which were placed on a truck and laid with wreaths.
Aqil was the second senior Hezbollah commander to be killed since October, after an Israeli strike on Beirut's southern suburbs in July killed top commander Fuad Shukr.
Also this week, at least 39 people were killed and almost 3,000 wounded when Hezbollah pagers and two-way radios exploded. Hezbollah has blamed Israel, which has not commented.
Despite the soaring violence and growing fears of war, Hezbollah supporters at Sunday's funeral expressed unflinching loyalty to the Shiite Muslim movement.
"We are ready to give our blood and our children," said engineer Hussein Zaarur, 72, who said two of his relatives had been killed since October.
"We are ready, and our fingers are on the trigger," he told AFP.
Related Links
Space War News
| Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters |
| Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters |
