Israeli commander drops ‘unauthorised’ evacuation leaflets over southern Lebanon
An Israel brigade commander dropped leaflets over parts of southern Lebanon ordering residents to evacuate without authorisation, the Israeli military said on Sunday.
The leaflets, often distributed by the Israeli military before major offensives, urged residents of the border village of Wazzani to “immediately leave” their homes and stay north of the Khiam region “until the end of the war”.
“Anyone present in this area after this time will be considered a terrorist,” the leaflet read in Arabic.
The Israeli military later clarified there were no active evacuation orders in the area.
It said a regional commander took the initiative without seeking proper permission from senior military officials.
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An investigation was launched into the incident, it added.
Israeli media said the flyers were dropped by a military drone.
According to the Times of Israel, military sources said the move was carried out by Colonel Avi Marciano, the commander of the 769th “Hiram” Regional Brigade.
The Israeli military has not issued evacuation orders in Lebanon since cross-border exchanges of fire with Hezbollah began in October 2023.
However, such leaflets have been routinely dropped over the Gaza Strip in the ongoing war, a strategy that has been repeatedly criticised.
The UN Human Rights Office has called the orders “confusing” and said the military often instructs people to move into areas where Israeli forces are operating.
Israel has repeatedly bombed areas it marked as part of so-called “humanitarian zones”, killing and wounding scores of civilians taking shelter in tents and schools.
More than 600 Lebanese have been killed in Israeli strikes since the war in Gaza began, according to Lebanon's health ministry, including around 150 civilians.
Earlier in September, Lebanon's prime minister condemned Israeli attacks on medical facilities and personnel, Reuters reported.
"To date, because of Israel's aggression, 25 paramedics from various ambulance teams have been killed, along with two health workers, and 94 paramedics and health workers have been injured," a health ministry statement said earlier this month.
Israeli forces have killed more than 41,000 Palestinians in Gaza since 7 October, including at least 13,000 children and 7,000 women. An additional 95,000 people have been wounded.
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