Lebanon's Prime Minister Najib Mikati denounced Thursday Israel’s recent directives for mass evacuations in Lebanon, describing these as "war crimes" and urging diplomatic measures to end Israeli military strikes amid ongoing conflict.
"The threats issued by the Israeli enemy against Lebanese civilians to evacuate entire cities and leave their areas and homes are an additional war crime added to the series of crimes committed by the enemy," Mikati said in a statement.
Earlier during the day, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) directed residents of ten towns simultaneously, including Al-Hawsh, Al-Bazouriya, Rashidieh Camp, and Al-Kharayeb, to evacuate northward beyond the Awali River. IDF spokesperson Avichay Adraeen emphasized that movement southward was strictly prohibited, warning that it would endanger lives as Israeli forces prepare intensified operations against Hezbollah targets in those locations.
