TEHRAN, IRAN – AUGUST 2: A man looks at a banner with a message depicting US President Donald Trump, displayed in front of the Zolfagar and Zolgadol ballistic missiles on display in Azadi Square in the Iranian capital Tehran on August 2, 2026. (Photo by Fatemeh Bahrami/Anadolu via Getty Images)
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Israeli forces ordered evacuations in southern Lebanon on Monday ahead of a planned attack on Hezbollah facilities, deepening cracks in the ceasefire after failing to halt near-daily gunfire.
In an X post on Monday morning, Israeli military spokesperson Ela Waweya called on residents in the buildings marked on the attached map of Deir al-Zahrani and in adjacent buildings to “immediately evacuate” and move at least 300 meters away, saying the location was near a Hezbollah facility that the military had planned to target and warning that they would be “at risk” if they remained in the area.
At least seven people, including two women, were killed and six others injured in Israeli airstrikes across southern Lebanon on Sunday, Reuters reported, citing the Lebanese Health Ministry. Israel described the attacks as retaliation for Hezbollah drones firing at its forces.
In a post on Monday, the Israeli military accused Hezbollah of a “blatant violation” of the ceasefire agreement and said an explosive drone was fired at its forces, which prompted the military to “take strong action against Hezbollah.”
Lebanon became embroiled in a broader regional war in March when the Iranian-backed militant group Hezbollah officially joined the fighting. This triggered Israeli airstrikes and a ground invasion that escalated the conflict, with Lebanon saying at least 4,300 people had been killed and more than 12,000 injured since March 2.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Sunday said the strike was a “dangerous escalation” targeting “purely civilian government offices and health centres.” The presidential administration also called on the United States and the international community to help thwart the attack.
Despite a U.S.-brokered ceasefire in June, violence continues in the region, including sporadic Israeli airstrikes and Hezbollah drone attacks. Last month, Israeli airstrikes killed at least 11 people and injured 19 others in southern Lebanon, the deadliest death toll since the cease-fire.
Monday’s evacuation advisory was the third such order to be issued since the ceasefire was announced in June, following an initial online evacuation order on Aug. 5 and a second evacuation order on Sunday.
