Israel intends to strike targets of the Shiite Hezbollah movement in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley and is calling on residents of border areas to evacuate immediately, IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari warned.
“In the near future, we plan to strike Hezbollah terrorist targets in the Bekaa Valley… Citizens who are near buildings where ammunition is stored, evacuate immediately for your own safety,” RIA Novosti quotes him as saying.
According to the Israel Defense Forces, Hezbollah stores its strategic weapons in residential buildings and uses civilians as human shields.
Earlier, the death toll from Israeli airstrikes on settlements in southern Lebanon rose to 100, with more than 400 civilians injured.
The Economist magazine, citing military sources, wrote that Israel is preparing to conduct a ground military operation in Lebanon to create a buffer zone in the northern border area.
