Israel orders northern residents within 2 km of border to evacuate
The Ministry of Defense and the Israel Defense Forces issued a joint statement this morning, saying all Israeli residents living within 2 kilometers (about 1.25 miles) of the Israeli-Lebanese border should be evacuated.
The Israel Ministry of Defense’s National Emergency Management Authority (NEMA) and the IDF announced the start of a national initiative to evacuate Israeli residents living within 1.25 miles of the Israeli-Lebanese border from 28 towns to guesthouses subsidized by the state.
The implementation of the program was approved by Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant. The IDF Northern Command recently notified the heads of the local municipalities regarding the decision.
The evacuation initiative will be led by the local municipalities, the Interior Ministry and the Ministry of Defense.
The move appears to be a precautionary measure by the Israeli government in the event that a ground campaign in Gaza triggers a new assault from Hezbollah in Lebanon, which shares a border with Israel's northern region.
Reports indicate that Iran has ordered Hezbollah to carry out attacks on Israel's northern border.
The All Israel News Staff is a team of journalists in Israel.