The Israeli military designated all areas south of Lebanon’s Zahrani River as combat zones on Thursday, ordering civilian residents to immediately evacuate north of the boundary. The escalation follows the collapse of an April 17 ceasefire in the wider regional conflict, which accelerated in March when Hezbollah entered the war following US and Israeli strikes on Iranian leadership.
The sweeping evacuation orders affecting Lebanese cities apply to territory stretching roughly 40 kilometers from the Israeli border. The Israel Defense Forces have since launched extensive strikes across southern and eastern Lebanon, causing significant infrastructural damage in the cities of Nabatieh and Tyre.
This declaration of all areas south of the Zahrani River as combat zones marks the first formal regional warning of this scale since the mid-April truce failed. The Lebanese health ministry updated the overall death toll to 3,269 people since the conflict began earlier this year.
Operations are expanding on the ground. An Israeli military official confirmed that troops are now operating beyond the previously established 10-kilometer yellow line buffer. Infantry units are clashing with Hezbollah forces at point-blank range as the offensive moves deeper into Lebanese territory. Diplomatic and military talks are expected to continue at the Pentagon regarding the shifting front lines.