The military operation zone in northern Israel is being expanded as the Israeli army declared the areas surrounding the communities of Manara, Yiftah and Malkia in northern Israel a closed military zone after assessing the situation on Sunday.

Earlier, the Israeli army requested the evacuation of residents from 19 more villages in southern Lebanon, located within 30 kilometers of the border with Israel.

The army told residents to move about 50 kilometers further into the country.

“You must move immediately to the north of the Awali River. Save your lives and evacuate your homes immediately,” Avichay Adraee, a spokesman for the Israel Defense Forces, told X on Sunday in Arabic.

This announcement follows a series of Israeli evacuation warnings over the past week, which now affect a total of 124 villages.

The Awali River is located north of the city of Sidon and just south of Beirut. The total land mass south of the river to the Israeli border represents a quarter of Lebanese territory.

The IDF spokesman also reiterated his earlier warnings to residents to avoid traveling “using vehicles” further into southern Lebanon from north of the Litani River, which is about 18 miles from the border.