Israel issues evacuation orders for southern Lebanon despite fragile US-led truce

Israeli forces have issued fresh mandatory evacuation orders affecting residents in southern Lebanon, including locations that lie outside their current zone of occupation. These directives arrive even as a fragile truce, mediated by the United States, attempts to stop active fighting between the Israeli military and the armed group Hezbollah.

A spokesperson for the Israeli army, Avichay Adraee, posted a message in Arabic on X on Sunday instructing civilians to leave their homes immediately. The order demands that people move at least 1,000 metres, or roughly 0.6 miles, into open areas for their own safety.

The warning encompasses more than ten villages and towns, several of which are located in the Nabatieh district north of the Litani River. This river marks the southern boundary of the area where Israeli troops have been stationed since the escalation of hostilities.

Lebanon's state-run National News Agency reported that Israeli airstrikes have continued across southern Lebanon, hitting towns that were not specifically listed in the displacement orders issued that morning.

Since April 17, a ceasefire brokered by the United States has remained in effect, intended to halt violence between Hezbollah and Israel's military forces. However, on Wednesday, Eyal Zamir, the chief of staff of the Israeli military, warned that any threat against communities or troops would be eliminated. He specifically included areas beyond the Yellow Line and north of the Litani River in his threat.

Recent attacks in the region have claimed the lives of two soldiers and an army contractor, while dozens of others have been wounded by drone strikes. The United States has called for direct peace negotiations, but Lebanese President Joseph Aoun stated that Israel must fully implement the ceasefire before talks can proceed.

Rory Challands of Al Jazeera reported from Beirut that the agreement, extended to mid-May, exists only in name. He noted that five divisions of the Israeli army remain in the south, bombing and demolishing homes extensively. Challands highlighted that three of the targeted towns are receiving evacuation orders for the first time, signaling an expansion of Israel's operational area.

The Ministry of Public Health in Lebanon confirmed that at least ten people were killed in Israeli attacks across the country on Saturday. The total death toll since the war escalated on March 2 stands at 2,659, with 8,183 people injured.