Smoke rises from the site of an Israeli airstrike that targeted the eastern Lebanese city of Baalbeck on November 3, 2024, amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hezbollah. (Photo by AFP)
Beirut, November 4 (RHC)-- The Israeli military has issued new evacuation orders for the city of Baalbek in eastern Lebanon, warning that it is planning to strike positions belonging to the Lebanese resistance movement Hezbollah in the area.
Israeli military spokesperson Avichay Adraee announced the new forced displacement order in a post on X on Sunday, calling on all the residents of Duris, a village located almost in the vicinity of Baalbek, to immediately evacuate there.
“You are located near Hezbollah facilities and interests, against which the Israeli military will operate in the near future,” the Israeli military spokesman said.
“For your safety and the safety of your family members, you must evacuate the building and its surroundings immediately and stay away from them for a distance of no less than 500 meters within the next four hours,” he added.
The Israeli military has previously issued a displacement order for the entire city of Baalbek and its outskirts.
Baalbek, a significant urban center in the Bekaa Valley, is renowned for being home to some of the best preserved Roman temples. Designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1984, it has a population of over 100,000 residents.
On Thursday, Israeli strikes in two towns in the Baalbek region killed at least 19 people, including eight women. The latest evacuation order came as sirens were activated along the border as dozens of missiles were identified crossing from Lebanon into the occupied territories since the morning.
Also on Saturday, Hezbollah launched a barrage of missiles targeting three Israeli military bases in northern occupied territories.
The resistance group also carried out missile and drone attacks against five Israeli settlements in the Galilee, the occupied Golan Heights.
Since late September, Israel has launched an intense air and ground onslaught against Lebanon after nearly a year of cross-border exchanges with Hezbollah over the war in Gaza.
The regime’s intensified aggression against Lebanon has seen it either attacking targets across the country without prior notice or issuing such notices minutes before launching its strikes.
Hezbollah has been responding to the aggression with numerous retaliatory operations, targeting the occupied Palestinian territories.
