The Middle East is bracing for a wider war as Israel fights in Gaza and Lebanon, and promises a strong response to Iran’s missile strikes.
Israel says it is sending more troops into southern Lebanon to fight Hezbollah, as Israel also promised a “painful” response after Iran fired nearly 200 missiles at Israel Tuesday night.
The Israeli military said it is deploying more soldiers and an armored tank brigade to assist in what it called a “limited, localized” ground offensive against the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah in Lebanon.
On social media, the Israeli military’s Arabic spokesperson, Avichay Adraee, warned residents of an additional 24 villages in southern Lebanon to evacuate immediately. “For your safety, you must leave your homes immediately,” he said, adding that any civilian near Hezbollah fighters, facilities or weapons risks their lives.
Residents were advised to evacuate north of the Awali River, about 30 miles from the Lebanese border with Israel.
Also on Wednesday, sirens went off across Israel’s north after the Israeli military said around 100 rockets were fired from Lebanon.
