Tel Aviv, Israel
Amid the heightened tensions in West Asia, the Israeli army has threatened to attack ambulances in southern Lebanon, saying that they are being misused by the Lebanon-based militant group Hezbollah.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) further ordered more villages in southern Lebanon to evacuate.
This warning comes after Israeli forces hit positions of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), injuring peacekeepers.
UNIFIL reported on Saturday (Oct 12) that an unknown gunshot hit a peacekeeper the previous day, marking the fifth injury near the Israeli border in southern Lebanon within two days.
Israeli army spokesperson Avichay Adraee on Saturday alleged that “Hezbollah elements are using ambulances to transport fighters and arms.” However, he did not provide any proof related to his accusation.
Also read: Fifth UN peacekeeper injured in two days as Israel-Hezbollah border conflict escalates
“We call on medical teams to avoid contact with Hezbollah members and not to cooperate with them,” he said. The Israeli military “affirms that the necessary actions will be taken against any vehicle transporting armed individuals, regardless of its type”.
'Do not return to your homes'
Adraee further warned residents of southern Lebanon not to go back to their homes.
Watch | High Alert In Israel On Yom Kippur: Israel Marks Yom Kippur Amid Global Criticism
“For your own protection, do not return to your homes until further notice. Do not go south, anyone who goes south may put his life at risk,” he said.
Hezbollah fires about 320 projectiles in Israel
The Israeli military said that Hezbollah fired about 320 projectiles from Lebanon into Israel over Yom Kippur, Judaism’s holiest day which ended at nightfall Saturday.
“Throughout the weekend of Yom Kippur, approximately 320 projectiles that were fired by the Hezbollah terrorist organization crossed from Lebanon into Israel,” the military said in a statement.
#BREAKING | Israel army says Hezbollah fired about 320 projectiles into Israel over Yom Kippur. #IsraelHamasWar #GazaWar pic.twitter.com/dR4PLWq6iW
— WION (@WIONews) October 12, 2024
The military, in another statement, said that two projectiles were also identified crossing from northern Gaza, where Israel is fighting Palestinian militants, toward the city of Ashkelon but fell in an unpopulated area.
Disclaimer: WION takes the utmost care to accurately and responsibly report conflicts in West Asia involving Israel, Iran, Syria, Iraq, and non-state actors like the Islamic State, among others. In this context, claims and counterclaims are being made online and offline. WION cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, social media posts, photos, and videos.
(With inputs from agencies)