Israel drops leaflets warning south Lebanon of danger from Hezbollah attacks

Residents told that the armed group is 'taking advantage of the opportunity to infiltrate your lands'

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Israel military aircraft dropped leaflets on a southern Lebanese town to warn residents of the dangers of Hezbollah using the area to launch cross-border attacks.

Images of the leaflets were shared online, and verified by the mayor of Kfar Chouba and a local resident.

Israel and Lebanese armed group Hezbollah have engaged in daily cross-border clashes since October 8, leading to deaths on each side – including more than 100 Hezbollah fighters.

The message, addressed to the residents of south Lebanon, says Hezbollah "is taking advantage of the opportunity to infiltrate your lands, and the areas around your work and livelihood".

It tells the residents that "you must stop this terrorism for your safety by being careful" in the region.

"The concealment of Hezbollah members in civilian areas is the real danger, and this is what harms you."

This is believed to be the first time that Israel has dropped leaflets over south Lebanon since the the start of the clashes. The fighting is the heaviest between arch foes Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah since a month-long war in 2006.

Hezbollah says its attacks are in support of the Palestinian people and its ally Hamas, the Palestinian militant group that controls the Gaza Strip.

Israel's military has pummelled Gaza in response to Hamas's raid on southern Israel on October 7 that killed about 1,200 people, mainly civilians. Nearly 19,000 people have been killed in the Israeli offensive, most of them women and children.