Amid the fear of escalation with Hezbollah, Israel's joint ministry of defence today announced plans to evacuate citizens from the 2km areas bordering Lebanon. In a statement, the IDF said that the decision was approved by the Minister of Defence Yoav Gallant and the residents would be shifted to the state-funded guest house.
"The National Emergency Management Authority (NEMA) of the Ministry of Defense and the IDF are announcing the implementation of a plan to evacuate residents of northern Israel who live in the area up to 2 kilometers from the Lebanese border to state-funded guesthouses. The implementation of the plan was approved by Minister of Defense, Yoav Gallant. A short while ago, the Northern Command updated the heads of the local authorities on to the decision. The plan will be implemented by the heads of the local municipalities, the Ministry of Interior and the National Emergency Management Authority (NEMA) of the Ministry of Defense," said the IDF.
The IDF further said that there are 28 communities in the area that will be shifted to the guest houses.
Joint Ministry of Defense and IDF announcement:
The National Emergency Management Authority (NEMA) of the Ministry of Defense and the IDF are announcing the implementation of a plan to evacuate residents of northern Israel who live in the area up to 2 kilometers from the…
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) October 16, 2023
Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has chaired an emergency meeting ahead of the Israeli Defence Forces's ground attack on Gaza. Over 10,000 IDF soldiers and tanks have lined up at the Gaza border as they wait for the Gazans to evacuate southwards to Wadi Gaza.
On the other hand, United States President Joe Biden has said that while Israel should finish Hamas, it should not recapture Gaza as it would be a mistake. Biden also said that there is a fundamental difference between Israelis killed in the Hamas attack and Palestinian civilians and Hamas terrorists killed in Tel Aviv's counter-attack. The US president said that Hamas has engaged in barbarism that is as consequential as the holocaust.
