Israel to evacuate over 22,000 residents from city near Lebanon border amid clashes with Hezbollah

Israel announced on Friday that it would evacuate over 22,000 residents from its northern city of Kiryat Shmona following heavy clashes with Lebanon’s Iran-backed Hezbollah, a militant group, reported Reuters.

“This kind of evacuation, which has already been done in a number of towns on the northern border, allows the IDF [Israel Defense Forces] to expand its operational freedom to act against the Hezbollah terrorist organisation,” said Israel’s chief military spokesperson Rear-Admiral Daniel Hagari.

Areas around the Israel-Lebanon border have been seeing clashes since Israel declared war on Gaza nearly two weeks ago. Tel Aviv had earlier categorised some areas along the Lebanon border as closed military zones and the National Emergency Management Authority was working to evacuate all communities from the regions.

The Israeli military had said that it carried out a several attacks against Hezbollah infrastructure, including observation posts, reported the Associated Press.

Meanwhile, the Lebanese Army said that a journalist was killed by Israeli gunfire on Thursday.

“We reaffirm that the killing of civilians and the assault on the security of our country will not go without response or punishment,” Hezbollah had said.

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