The Israeli army Tuesday called on residents of several villages north of the Litani River, up to 30 kilometers (19 miles) from Israel's border with Lebanon, to leave their homes ahead of a military offensive there, an army spokeswoman told AFP.
"We have distributed fliers in a limited number of villages north of the Litani where we know Hezbollah is operating, calling on residents to leave ahead of a military offensive," she said.
Early Tuesday, Israel's security cabinet gave the army the green light to send ground forces up to the Litani.
The cabinet authorized military operations "with a view of controlling the area until the Litani River after having cleaned it of Hezbollah presence but without a permanent occupation," a government official told AFP on condition of anonymity.
Israel's border with Lebanon runs eastwards from the Mediterranean coast about 30 kilometers south of the Litani, but moves much closer to the river as it turns north about 30 kilometres inland.
