“New Phase, Flee” –

Israel continues its offensive in Lebanon in what is now a full-blown war. Since this morning, Israeli fighter jets have struck more than 300 Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, the Israeli military said, releasing a photo of the army chief of staff, Herzi Halevi, approving the wave of air strikes from the army’s underground command room at the IDF headquarters in Tel Aviv. Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati denounced Israel’s “destructive plan.” “The ongoing Israeli aggression against Lebanon is a war of extermination in every sense of the word and a destructive plan that aims to destroy Lebanese villages and cities,” Mikati told a cabinet meeting, urging “the United Nations and the General Assembly and influential countries… to deter (Israeli) aggression.”

Residents in several regions of Lebanon have received warning messages via landlines, urging them to leave their places quickly, Lebanese news agency NNA reported, adding that the warnings are coming from Israel and have also reached residents of the Lebanese capital Beirut. The BBC reported that text and voice messages were received this morning by people in southern Lebanon warning them to stay away from “residential buildings used by Hezbollah to hide weapons”. The British broadcaster reported a video circulating on social media showing a person who received a voice message stating that Israeli operations are continuing and have entered a “new phase”. “If you are in a location used by Hezbollah,” the audio continues, “leave immediately for your own safety”.