Thousands fled their homes after Israel issued forced evacuation orders for nine villages in southern Lebanon before strikes that killed six people on Friday, a day after the Hezbollah militant group rejected a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Lebanon. Hundreds of families left Anqoun, a village hosting at least 2,500 displaced people, after the Israeli military said it would soon operate against what it said were Hezbollah targets there, ordering residents to leave.
The roads leading to Sidon, the closest large city, were choked with cars as families sought shelter. The Israeli military carried out airstrikes across wide areas of south Lebanon, including Anqoun, with drone strikes hitting cars in the Nabatieh area while airstrikes and artillery pounded the town of Kfar Tebnit.
The town is adjacent to Beaufort Castle, which Israeli troops seized this week, and en route to the city of Nabatieh. Israel has issued forced evacuation orders for Nabatieh and much of the area’s surrounding towns as it advances further towards the city, now deserted but normally one of the largest in south Lebanon.
Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, had ordered Israeli troops to deepen their invasion of south Lebanon after capturing the medieval Beaufort crusader castle on Sunday. Hezbollah attacked Israeli troops in southern Lebanon, targeting them with rocket barrages near the castle, according to a statement by Hezbollah.
The fighting came a day after a US-brokered ceasefire agreed on by the Israeli government and Lebanon was rejected by Hezbollah. The militant group called the deal, under which it would have stopped firing but with Israel allowed to continue carrying out airstrikes, tantamount to “surrender”.