Israel launches airstrikes on south Lebanon, says it's targeting Hezbollah

Beirut: The Israeli military carried out heavy airstrikes on south Lebanon on Thursday after issuing evacuation orders for three locations, saying Lebanese armed group Hezbollah was trying to rebuild its military capabilities there.

The orders and strikes came despite a ceasefire deal agreed a year ago that was meant to end more than a year of fighting between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah, and after months of the Lebanese army clearing Hezbollah sites in the south.

There was no immediate toll provided by the Lebanese health ministry from the afternoon airstrikes. Earlier Israeli strikes on Thursday killed one person, according to the health ministry.

Israeli military spokesperson Avichay Adraee issued the evacuation orders on X at 3 p.m. local time (1300 GMT) on Thursday, with maps showing three buildings in the villages of Aita al-Jabal, Al-Tayyiba and Tayr Debba.

The post ordered residents to keep a 500-meter (1,650-foot) distance from those locations. Lebanon's civil defence helped people evacuate the areas, the Lebanese state news agency said.

The airstrikes began about an hour later, sending thick plumes of smoke into the sky. While Israel has carried out frequent strikes targeting what it says are Hezbollah military sites and group members present in south Lebanon over the last year, they have rarely come with evacuation orders.

"Israel will continue to defend all of its borders, and we continue also to insist on the full enforcement of the ceasefire agreement between Lebanon and Israel," Israeli government spokesperson Shosh Bedrosian told reporters on Thursday.

Bedrosian said Israel will not allow Hezbollah to rearm or to recover the military strength that was shattered by Israel's ground and air war in 2023-24.

Hezbollah said on Thursday it was committed to the ceasefire, but that it retained a "legitimate right" to resist Israel. It has not fired on Israel since the truce deal came into force last year.

The evacuation warnings coincided with a meeting of Lebanon's cabinet to hear an update from army commander Rodolphe Haykal on progress in confiscating Hezbollah arms depots in south Lebanon.