28 Israeli settlements to be evacuated along Lebanese border: Reports
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Media and strategic experts have commented on the plan, suggesting that it may be related to the Israeli ground invasion, and the Israeli army says it fears Hezbollah.
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A fire burns on the occupied Palestinian border with Lebanon following explosions, Sunday, Oct. 15, 2023. (AP)
The Israeli occupation said it is planning to evacuate settlers in settlements up to two kilometers from the Lebanese border, as per Israeli media.
The ministry’s National Emergency Management Authority (NEMA) said the settlers will be taken to government-funded guesthouses after the plan was approved by Security Minister Yoav Gallant.
The IOF has repeatedly informed the authorities in the region about the impending execution of the scheme, as per Israeli media reports.
According to IOF, the 28 settlements included in the plan are "Ghajar, Dishon, Kfar Yuval, Margaliot, Metula, Avivim, Dovev, Ma’ayan Baruch, Bar’am, Manara, Yiftah, Malkia, Misgav Am, Yir’on, Dafna, Arab al-Aramshe, Shlomi, Netu’a, Ya’ara, Shtula, Matat, Zar’it, Shomera, Betzet, Adamit, Rosh Hanikrah, Hanita and Kfar Giladi."
Media and strategic experts have commented on the plan, suggesting it may be related to the Israeli ground invasion. Meanwhile, the Israeli army speculated that Hezbollah might carry out infiltration operations or missile launches. Meanwhile, the chief of the upper Al-Jalil city council expressed concerns, stating that there are many questions about the plan, stressing that there is a lack of clarity in the evacuation plan, and uncertainty surrounds the allocated budget for it.
The Israeli Channel 12 correspondent in northern occupied Palestine has confirmed "significant criticisms from the settlers located 2 kilometers away from the Lebanese border," adding that some more distant settlements might be included in the evacuation plan according to the security situation on the ground.
The Israeli Walla website also reported that the Israeli army began "reinforcing the northern borders with communication systems, focusing on electronic warfare and encrypted communication means, and border protection monitoring systems." This comes amid concerns of a potential Hezbollah attack on the existing systems along the border, similar to incidents occurring on the Gaza border.
It is worth noting that Hezbollah announced on Sunday that they successfully targeted a Merkava tank at the "Al-Rahheb" Israeli occupation military site using anti-tank guided missiles.
In a statement, the Lebanese Resistance group confirmed that the tank was hit directly, resulting in casualties among the crew.
The Israeli occupation army confirmed the operation.
This is the second consecutive targeting that Hezbollah claimed responsibility for on the same day.
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