Israel strikes southern Lebanon after ordering evacuations of nine villages

Lebanese soldiers in front of destroyed houses in the village of Dibbin, southern Lebanon. Israeli forces withdrew from the village on Thursday. Photograph: Hussein Malla/AP View image in fullscreen Lebanese soldiers in front of destroyed houses in the village of Dibbin, southern Lebanon. Israeli forces withdrew from the village on Thursday. Photograph: Hussein Malla/AP Israel strikes southern Lebanon after ordering evacuations of nine villages Thousands flee including from village hosting at least 2,500 displaced people, one day after Hezbollah rejects ceasefire Thousands fled their homes after Israel issued forced evacuation orders for nine villages in southern Lebanon before strikes that killed six people on Friday, a day after the Hezbollah militant group rejected a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Lebanon. Hundreds of families left Anqoun, a village hosting at least 2,500 displaced people, after the Israeli military said it would soon operate against what it said were Hezbollah targets there, ordering residents to leave. The roads leading to Sidon, the closest large city, were choked with cars as families sought shelter. The Israeli military carried out airstrikes across wide areas of south Lebanon, including Anqoun, with drone strikes hitting cars in the Nabatieh area while airstrikes and artillery pounded the town of Kfar Tebnit. The town is adjacent to Beaufort Castle, which Israeli troops seized this week , and en route to the city of Nabatieh. Israel has issued forced evacuation orders for Nabatieh and much of the area’s surrounding towns as it advances further towards the city, now deserted but normally one of the largest in south Lebanon. Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu , had ordered Israeli troops to deepen their invasion of south Lebanon after capturing the medieval Beaufort crusader castle on Sunday. Hezbollah attacked Israeli troops in southern Lebanon , targeting them with rocket barrages near the castle, according to a statement by Hezbollah. View image in fullscreen First responders attend to a burning vehicle targeted by an Israeli drone attack in the southern Lebanese city of Nabatieh on Friday. Photograph: Abbas Fakih/AFP/Getty Images The fighting came a day after a US-brokered ceasefire agreed on by the Israeli government and Lebanon was rejected by Hezbollah. The militant group called the deal, under which it would have stopped firing but with Israel allowed to continue carrying out airstrikes, tantamount to “surrender”. The Lebanese prime minister, Nawaf Salam, said on Friday: “Lebanon can no longer be a field for wars fought for others, nor can the south [of Lebanon] and its peoeple continue to pay the price for decisions they did not make.” Hezbollah is not a party to the negotiations between Israel and the government of Lebanon. Instead it has passed its positions and messages primarily through Lebanon’s parliament speaker, Nabih Berri. Berri, days before the failed ceasefire was drafted, said he coul