Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said on Tuesday that Israel has no territorial ambitions in Lebanon, even as the military issued evacuation warnings for more than a dozen towns and villages in the country’s south.

The statement came as Israeli forces continued operations against Iran-backed Hezbollah following a ceasefire that took effect on April 17.

What are Israel’s stated goals in Lebanon?

Israel says its military presence in southern Lebanon serves a single purpose: protecting its citizens from Hezbollah and other armed groups. Foreign Minister Saar said that once Hezbollah and Palestinian organizations are dismantled, Israel will have no reason to remain in those areas.

He framed the situation as one of self-defense, saying no country would accept living with “a gun pointed to its head.”

What is the Yellow Line and where does it apply?

Shortly after the April 17 ceasefire, Israel declared a “Yellow Line,” a strip of Lebanese territory roughly 10 kilometers deep along the border where Israeli troops are operating. Tuesday’s evacuation orders covered more than a dozen villages and towns, all of which appear to lie outside or on the edge of that zone.

The military’s Arabic-language spokesman, Avichay Adraee, posted on X urging residents to evacuate immediately and move north toward the Sidon District.

Lebanon’s state media reported that Israeli airstrikes followed shortly after the evacuation warnings, hitting targets in the named areas. At least one Israeli demolition operation was also reported in the south. The strikes mark a continuation of military activity despite the ceasefire remaining nominally in place.

Has Israel fully withdrawn from Lebanon since the ceasefire?

Israel has not withdrawn from southern Lebanon since the April 17 ceasefire took effect. Israeli troops remain active within the Yellow Line zone, and both Israel and Hezbollah have continued trading blame over ceasefire violations.

Israel said on Tuesday that one soldier was severely injured and another lightly hurt the previous day after what it described as an explosive drone strike, which it attributed to Hezbollah.

Earlier on Tuesday, the military said it intercepted a suspicious aerial target in an area where troops were operating.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday that Hezbollah’s rockets and drones continued to pose a significant threat, requiring sustained military action.

Hezbollah drew Lebanon into the wider Middle East conflict on March 2, firing rockets toward Israel following the killing of Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei.