The Israeli military has ordered residents of around 50 towns and villages in Lebanon to evacuate at least one kilometre from their communities ahead of planned strikes in response to earlier fire by Hezbollah into Israeli territory.
In a message posted in Arabic on X, Israeli army spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Ella Waweya said Hezbollah’s activities had compelled the army to act. She urged residents to leave their homes immediately and move to open areas at least 1,000 metres away for their safety.
Strikes and cross-border fire
According to the Israeli military, most projectiles launched from Lebanese territory triggered sirens in northern Israel but were allowed to fall in open areas in line with protocol, while one was intercepted.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said via Telegram that Hezbollah had launched six missiles towards Haifa, a port city in northern Israel.
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam described the rocket fire from southern Lebanon as an irresponsible act that endangered the country’s security and provided Israel with a pretext to continue attacks. Writing on X, he said all necessary measures would be taken to stop those responsible and protect Lebanese citizens.
EU strengthens Red Sea naval presence
Separately, a diplomatic source said the European Union is reinforcing its military mission in the Red Sea by deploying two French naval vessels in the coming days, as escalating tensions threaten maritime transport routes.
The vessels will join the operation known as Aspides, which currently includes three warships, among them one French ship.
Evacuations from Iran via Azerbaijan
The Russian embassy in Baku announced plans to evacuate approximately 500 Russian nationals from Iran through Azerbaijan, expressing gratitude to the Azerbaijani authorities for facilitating transit permits.
A source in the Azerbaijani government told Reuters that 192 people had crossed into Azerbaijan from Iran within 38 hours of the start of US and Israeli strikes on Saturday, including 82 Azerbaijani citizens.
Gulf states condemn Iranian strikes
Governments of Gulf Cooperation Council states condemned what they described as unjustified Iranian strikes against them and said they reserve the right to respond.
In a joint statement issued after an emergency ministerial meeting, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Kuwait said they would take all necessary measures to safeguard their security, stability and territories, including the possibility of retaliation.
Source: CNA / Reuters