The Israeli military on Monday advised residents of numerous villages across southern Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley to evacuate their homes immediately ahead of strikes on Hezbollah militia targets.

In a statement, the military told residents to move at least 1,000 meters away to open areas for their safety, adding it does not intend to harm civilians.

The strikes are in response to the activities by the Iran-backed militia, it said.

Hezbollah earlier claimed responsibility for targeting a site south of the city of Haifa belonging to the Israeli military.

The military warned that anyone not getting away from Hezbollah members, facilities, or military equipment would be putting their lives at risk, and called on residents to protect themselves and their loved ones by leaving the target areas without delay.

This is the first time since the start of a ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel in November 2024 that the Shiite militia has attacked Israel with rockets.

Hezbollah said the attack on Sunday night was “in retaliation for the pure blood” of Iranian leader Ali Khamenei, who was killed in wide-ranging U.S.-Israeli strikes on Tehran on Saturday morning.

(dpa/NAN)