‘Hezbollah using you as human shields,’ Benjamin Netanyahu warns Lebanese to ‘get out of harm’s way’

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu advised the Lebanese population to evacuate areas at risk as the Israeli military struck Hezbollah targets in southern and eastern Lebanon on Monday.

“Please, get out of harm's way now. Once our operation is finished, you can come back safely to your homes,” Netanyahu said in a video statement shortly after the Israeli army announced it had struck 800 Hezbollah targets in Lebanon.

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In a post on X, Netanyahu posted a video with the caption, “Message for the people of Lebanon.”

In his statement to people in Lebanon on Monday, Netanyahu said it was Hezbollah who had endangered their security.

"Hezbollah has been using you as human shields. It placed rockets in your living rooms and missiles in your garage," he said.

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"Don't let Hezbollah endanger your lives and the lives of your loved ones."

Israeli strikes on Lebanon resulted in the deaths of 274 people, including 21 children, on Monday, according to the Lebanese health minister. This marks the deadliest cross-border escalation since the conflict in Gaza began on October 7.

Hezbollah, backed by Iran, began launching rockets at Israel in support of Hamas following Hamas's unprecedented attack on southern Israel, which ignited the war in Gaza.

Earlier on Sunday, hundreds of thousands of residents in northern Israel sought refuge in bomb shelters as Hezbollah fired a significant number of rockets across the border.

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This escalation followed an Israeli airstrike on Friday that targeted Hezbollah's stronghold in southern Beirut, killing its elite Radwan Force commander, Ibrahim Aqil, along with other commanders and civilians.

The airstrike came after coordinated blasts from communications devices on Tuesday and Wednesday, which Hezbollah attributed to Israel and resulted in 39 fatalities and nearly 3,000 injuries.

(With inputs from agencies)