Lebanese official media stated Monday folks have been receiving Israeli cellphone warnings telling them to evacuate, and Info Minister Ziad Makary’s workplace advised AFP it had acquired one of many messages.
The experiences got here after the Israeli army advised folks in Lebanon to maneuver away from Hezbollah targets and vowed to hold out extra “intensive and exact” strikes in opposition to the Iran-backed group.
It was the Israeli army’s first official warning issued to Lebanese folks because the battle in Gaza erupted almost a yr in the past.
Lebanon’s Nationwide Information Company (NNA) stated that “residents in Beirut and quite a few areas are receiving landline phone warning messages whose supply is the Israeli enemy, asking them to rapidly evacuate the place they’re”.
It known as the cellphone warnings “a part of the psychological battle that the enemy has adopted”.
Minister Makary’s workplace, situated in Beirut close to a number of different ministries, stated it acquired a landline name and when workers responded, a “recorded message” advised them to evacuate the constructing so as to keep away from strikes.
Others in Lebanon reported receiving cell phone textual content messages with related warnings from a sender whose quantity was not displayed.
Beirut resident Khaled, who requested to be recognized solely by his first title, stated he “acquired a textual content message that stated: “In case you are in a constructing the place there are Hezbollah weapons, distance your self from the village till additional discover.”
Imad Kreidieh, head of state telecommunications supplier Ogero, stated “the landline community system in Lebanon blocks all communications from Israel”.
However Israel “circumvents the communications techniques through the use of the worldwide cellphone code of a pleasant nation”, he advised AFP.
Israel and Lebanon are technically at battle, and Lebanon forbids communications with Israel.