Israeli military urge southern Lebanon residents to evacuate

The Israeli military issued an urgent warning on Sunday to residents of 11 towns and villages in southern Lebanon, urging them to evacuate their homes and move at least 1,000 metres (3,300 feet) away to open areas.

The military said it was conducting operations against Hezbollah following what it described as a violation of their ceasefire agreement, warning that anyone near Hezbollah fighters or facilities could be at risk.

Israel has continued to carry out strikes across southern Lebanon, and its troops ​are occupying a strip of the country's south, destroying homes they describe as infrastructure being used by ⁠Hezbollah.

The Iran-backed militant group has kept up its drone and rocket attacks against Israeli troops in Lebanon and on northern ​Israel.

This comes after Lebanese armed forces commander General Rudolf Haykal and US General Joseph Clearfield met in Beirut on Saturday to discuss the security situation in Lebanon and regional developments.

Clearfield heads a committee monitoring a US-backed ceasefire in fighting between Israel and Hezbollah.

The participants at the meeting underlined the importance of the Lebanese army's role and the need to support it during the current phase, a statement said.