Jerusalem, March 15 (IANS) The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said on Sunday that it conducted a wave of strikes on Hezbollah infrastructure across Lebanon.

As part of the strikes carried out on Saturday, the Israeli Army struck launch sites in the Al-Qatrani area in southern Lebanon, from which Hezbollah militants planned to launch rockets imminently, the IDF said in a statement.

It noted that the IDF also dismantled Hezbollah elite Radwan Force command centres in Beirut, from which militants allegedly launched attacks on Israel, Xinhua news agency reported.

The Israeli army also issued immediate forced evacuation orders for residents in several neighbourhoods in the Lebanese capital.

In a statement, Israeli Army Spokesman Avichay Adraee urged residents of Haret Hreik, Ghobeiry, Laylaki, Hadath, Burj al-Barajneh, Tahwitat al-Ghadir, and Shiyah “to leave immediately and not to return until further notice,” the Anadolu news agency reported.

He said the Israeli army would “forcefully operate” in these areas, citing what he called Hezbollah activities in the neighbourhoods.

Adraee threatened “to target anyone present near Hezbollah facilities, personnel, or military equipment in those locations”.

Hezbollah said on Sunday it was also targeting several Israeli troop positions in villages close to the border.

According to Lebanon’s Health Ministry, Israeli air raids have killed 826 people in Lebanon since the start of the latest war, which began on March 2.

Meanwhile, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has proposed negotiations with Israel. But Israeli Foreign ⁠Minister Gideon Saar said on Sunday that ⁠there were no plans to hold ⁠direct talks with Lebanon in the coming days.

Israel’s Haaretz newspaper reported on Saturday that Israel and Lebanon ⁠were expected to ⁠hold direct talks.

French President Emmanuel Macron said last week the Lebanese government was ready to engage in “direct talks” with Israel as he offered to host negotiations in Paris, warning that “everything must be done to prevent Lebanon from descending into chaos”.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres recently said Lebanese people have been “dragged into” a war, as he called for an end to the fighting amid Israel’s continued assault on several areas of the country.

–IANS

int/khz