The Israeli military on Sunday called on residents of more than 20 villages in south Lebanon to evacuate their homes, as troops expanded their ground operations against Hezbollah across the border.
"The Army does not intend to harm you. For your safety, you must evacuate your homes immediately and relocate to the north of the Awali River," Israeli army spokesman Avichay Adraee wrote in Arabic on X.
The Israeli military has been issuing regular evacuation messages to residents throughout southern Lebanon and in the capital Beirut, as it batters Hezbollah strongholds and targets with air strikes.
In support of its ally Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah started firing into northern Israel in October last year, triggering a near-daily exchange of fire that even before the current escalation had led to the displacement of tens of thousands of people on both sides.
In September, Israel expanded its focus from Gaza to Lebanon, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowing to fight Hezbollah until Israelis displaced by the violence could return to their homes in the north of the country.
Since Israel began a wave of air strikes on targets in Lebanon and sent troops across the border on September 30, more than 1,200 people have been killed, according to an AFP tally of Lebanese health ministry figures, and a million others have been displaced.