As Israel marches into Lebanon in its conflict with Hezbollah, the country has ordered the evacuation of communities in southern Lebanon in likely anticipation of dangerous conditions for civilians.
The order directed civilians to flee north of the Awali River, almost 40 miles from their mutual border.
The directive comes as Israel seeks to escalate its conflict with Hezbollah in hopes it can crush its longtime enemy, which has sent rockets into Israel as the country fights Hamas. Nevertheless, Israel’s incursion into the country has stirred worries that a greater regional war could erupt.
“We are urging restraint,” Britain’s Foreign Secretary David Lammy said. “None of us want to see a regional war. The price would be huge for the Middle East, and it would have a significant effect on the global economy.”
The U.K. government has also urged all British nationals in Lebanon to leave, with Lammy warning the situation could “deteriorate quickly.”
Israel recently killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in a destructive airstrike that pierced into his underground bunker in Beirut. The strike was just one of many Israel doled out against Hezbollah in an attempt to weaken the terrorist organization. Like the bombardments in Israel’s war with Hamas, the civilian cost has been heavy, with at least 1,000 people killed, according to Lebanon’s health ministry.
As Israel orders the evacuation of civilians, Spain has ordered its citizens in the country to leave as well. Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares told 1,000 Spanish civilians in the country to leave and demanded a ceasefire to hostilities.
“The land invasion of Lebanon must stop,” Albares said.
Hezbollah has denied that Israeli troops have entered Lebanon and said fighters are ready “to have direct confrontation with enemy forces that dare to or try to enter Lebanon to inflict casualties among them.”
Amid the growing conflict, the United States has backed Israel’s efforts in hopes it can dismantle “attack infrastructure along the border to ensure that Lebanese Hizballah cannot conduct October 7-style attacks on Israel’s northern communities,” Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant on Monday.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
The U.S. has strengthened its force in the Middle East, sending between 2,000 and 3,000 troops to bolster the 40,000 already in the region. Austin said the U.S. will defend Israel if Iran chooses to escalate tensions further in the region and that it is looking for a diplomatic resolution.
“I reaffirmed that a diplomatic resolution is required to ensure that civilians can return safely to their homes on both sides of the border and made clear that the United States is well-postured to defend U.S. personnel, partners, and allies in the face of threats from Iran and Iran-backed terrorist organizations and determined to prevent any actor from exploiting tensions or expanding the conflict,” Austin said. “I reiterated the serious consequences for Iran in the event Iran chooses to launch a direct military attack against Israel.”
