RINO: Agencies – The Israeli army ordered residents of 23 villages in southern Lebanon on Saturday to evacuate their homes to areas north of the Awli River, which flows from the Bekaa Valley in the west to the Mediterranean Sea.

The order, issued through a military statement, included villages in southern Lebanon that have been the targets of recent Israeli attacks, many of which are already nearly empty.

The Israeli military said the evacuations were necessary for the safety of residents due to increased operations by the Lebanese group Hezbollah, noting that the group uses these locations to hide weapons and launch attacks on Israel. Hezbollah denies hiding weapons among civilians.

The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) said on Saturday that another member of its forces was shot on Friday, adding that his condition is now stable after he underwent surgery to remove the bullet.

UNIFIL said in a statement that its position in the southern Lebanese town of Ramiyeh was heavily damaged by explosions from nearby shelling, but did not specify who was responsible for either attack.

Two UN peacekeepers were wounded in an Israeli strike near an observation tower in south Lebanon on Friday, drawing condemnation from the international organization and several countries.