March 02, (THEWILL) — The Israeli military on Monday issued an urgent evacuation advisory to residents of several villages in southern Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley, warning of imminent strikes on positions linked to Hezbollah amid renewed hostilities in the region.
In a statement, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) directed civilians to move at least 1,000 meters away from areas believed to house Hezbollah members, facilities or military equipment, and to relocate to open spaces for their safety.
The military stressed that it does not intend to harm civilians but cautioned that remaining near targeted sites could put lives at risk.
The warning followed claims by Hezbollah that it had targeted an Israeli military site south of Haifa with rocket fire.
The group described the strike as retaliation for the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in coordinated U.S.-Israeli airstrikes on Tehran over the weekend.
The latest exchange marks a significant escalation and is the first reported rocket attack by Hezbollah on Israel since a ceasefire agreement reached in November 2024.
Meanwhile, Gulf Arab states have strongly condemned what they described as Iran’s “unjustified aggression” against their territories following retaliatory attacks on U.S. military installations and other strategic locations in the region.
After an extraordinary meeting on Sunday, foreign ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) declared that, “in light of this unjustified Iranian aggression against GCC countries, they will take all necessary measures to defend their security and stability and to protect their territories, citizens, and residents, including the option of responding to the aggression.”
Member states including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Kuwait — reported Iranian strikes on their territories after Washington and Tel Aviv launched a bombing campaign on Iran.
The widening confrontation has heightened fears of a broader regional war, with exchanges of fire reported between Iran, Israel, and U.S. forces in the Gulf.
Military officials in Israel have indicated that further operations are likely in the coming days, while diplomatic efforts to de-escalate tensions appear limited.
As civilians in southern Lebanon brace for possible airstrikes, regional leaders face mounting pressure to prevent the conflict from spiraling further across the Middle East.
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