Israeli military warns displaced residents of southern Lebanon not to return to their homes

 The Israeli military has warned displaced residents of southern Lebanon not to return to their homes as it targets militant group Hezbollah in waves of strikes. 

Residents of villages in southern Lebanon began fleeing on Monday after the Israel Defense Forces warned civilians to leave areas in which Hezbollah operates, such as those used to store weapons. 

“To all residents of Lebanese villages who evacuated their homes for their own safety due to the presence of weapons or elements of the terrorist Hezbollah, IDF raids continue,” The Israel Defense Forces Arabic-language spokesperson, Avichay Adraee, wrote on X. 

“For your safety, do not return to your homes until further notice.” 

An estimated half a million people have been displaced in Lebanon, the country’s foreign minister said Tuesday, a day after Israeli strikes killed more than 500 people across the country.

The United Nations refugee agency warned on Tuesday that the number of displaced people in Lebanon is only set to rise. UNHCR spokesperson Matthew Saltmarsh described the situation in the country as “extremely alarming” and “very chaotic.”   

“Even prior to the latest escalation, over 100,000 people had been displaced from the southern regions of Lebanon and UNHCR had intervened to support them,” he said. “That was as of over a month ago.” 

Last week, Israel made the safe return of residents to northern Israel a war goal following nearly a year of cross-border exchanges of fire with Hezbollah.