Amid simmering tensions in West Asia, Lebanon’s Hezbollah has issued immediate evacuation orders to 25 settlements in northern Israel. The Iran-backed militant group has warned residents that these areas are now “legitimate military targets” of the group, Anadolu reported. In a video shared by the group on Telegram, Hezbollah addressed the warning directly to residents.

“You are requested to evacuate immediately. Your settlements have become a place of deployment and stability for enemy military forces attacking Lebanon. As a result, they have become legitimate military targets for the air and missile power of the Islamic resistance,” the group said.

The warning came a day after Israel carried out a retaliatory “precision strike” in Iran. The Jewish nation has been bombing Lebanon for more than a month, killing Hezbollah’s top brass, including the militant group’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah.

Regions where the evacuation order was issued

According to Turkish media Anadoluthe Israeli settlements in question included Kiryat Shmona, Yasod HaMa’ala, Ayelet HaShachar, Hatzor HaGalilit, Karmiel, Ma’alot Tarshiha, Even Menachem, Nahariya, Rosh Pina, Shamir, Sha’al, Miron, Kabri, Abirim, Dalton, Nefat Ziv, Qatzrin, Kfar Hananya, Manot, Beit HaAmik, Kfar Vradim, Harashim, Birya, Kfar Tzvi and Bar Yohai.

For more than a year, Israel and Hezbollah have been involved in cross-border shooting since the start of the Gaza war. Shortly after the October 7 Hamas attack, Hezbollah opened a new war front with Israel, praising the Palestinian group for leaving Tel Aviv shocked.

Tensions between the two sides escalated after Israel launched a ground incursion into southern Lebanon on October 1. On Saturday, the Lebanese militant group said it attacked the Israeli intelligence base near the town of Safed. In a statement, the group said a salvo of rockets targeted the Meishar base, which it describes as “Israeli intelligence headquarters for the northern region.”

In Saturday’s attack, the Iran-backed group also said it targeted an Israeli air base south of Tel Aviv, making it its first claimed attack on the facility.

With the contribution of agencies.