After unauthorized flyers dropped, IDF says there’s no south Lebanon evacuation order
Military says brigade commander did not have approval to distribute leaflets calling on civilians to leave area used by Hezbollah to launch attacks; flyers dropped by drone
Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent
The Israeli military clarified on Sunday that there was no evacuation recommendation given for civilians in southern Lebanon, and that flyers dropped in the southern village of Wazzani calling on residents to leave had been distributed by a brigade commander without permission.
The military said it has launched an investigation into the incident.
The flyers called on Lebanese civilians in highlighted zones close to the border to evacuate by 4 p.m. due to Hezbollah activity in the area.
The area that was highlighted has been used by Hezbollah to launch numerous attacks at northern Israel in recent months.
However, according to military sources, the move was carried out by the commander of the 769th “Hiram” Regional Brigade, Col. Avi Marciano, but without receiving permission from the head of the Northern Command or other senior officers.
A small drone operated by the brigade was used to drop the flyers, rather than the Israeli Air Force, a military source said.
Flyers are frequently dropped in the Gaza Strip by the IDF as a way to call on civilians to evacuate from certain areas and are used to seek information on hostages held in the enclave. However, they have not been used in Lebanon to address civilians during the past 11 months of fighting in the north.
The flyer incident came after a barrage of some 40 rockets was fired from Lebanon at the Galilee Panhandle and Golan Heights on Sunday morning.
Some of the rockets were intercepted by air defenses, and the rest struck open areas, sparking a number of fires. There were no injuries reported in the attack.
Hezbollah claimed the barrage, claiming that it had bombarded an Israeli military base with dozens of Katyusha rockets in response to recent IDF airstrikes in Lebanon, including an alleged drone strike on Saturday on a motorcycle in the coastal village of Sarafand, south of Sidon.
Later in the day, the IDF said some 20 Hezbollah rocket launchers and other infrastructure were struck by Israeli fighter jets in southern Lebanon’s Jarma.
The military said the launchers “posed an immediate threat to Israeli civilians.”
Meanwhile, two drones launched from Lebanon impacted in the northern Golan Heights, lightly injuring several soldiers.
The IDF said the soldiers sustained minor injuries as a result of the blast and were treated at the scene by military medics. None of the soldiers required hospitalization.
לפני זמן קצר, מטוסי קרב של חיל האוויר בהכוונת פיקוד הצפון תקפו כ-20 משגרים ותשתיות צבאיות של ארגון הטרור חיזבאללה במרחב ג'רמק שבדרום לבנון, אשר היוו איום מיידי על אזרחי מדינת ישראל>> pic.twitter.com/T3vczKxRS9
— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) September 15, 2024
The IDF launched airstrikes deep in Lebanon on Saturday, after the Hezbollah terror group bombarded northern Israel with over 60 rockets, including a barrage launched in the early morning hours.
Also on Sunday, an explosive-laden drone launched from Lebanon impacted near the northern border community of Metula. No damage was caused to the town, and there were no injuries.
Meanwhile, the IDF said it carried out a drone strike overnight in southern Lebanon’s Shebaa, targeting a cell of what it called terror operatives.
Since October 8, Hezbollah-led forces have attacked Israeli communities and military posts along the border on a near-daily basis, with the group saying it is doing so to support Gaza amid the war there.
So far, the skirmishes have resulted in 26 civilian deaths on the Israeli side, as well as the deaths of 20 IDF soldiers and reservists. There have also been several attacks from Syria, without any injuries.
Hezbollah has named 440 members who have been killed by Israel during the ongoing skirmishes, mostly in Lebanon but some also in Syria. Another 78 operatives from other terror groups, a Lebanese soldier, and dozens of civilians have also been killed.
