Israeli forces dropped leaflets over the town of Wazzani (Hasbaya district) and surrounding areas, demanding the evacuation of areas where displaced families are living in tents. (Credit: Mayor of Wazzani Ahmed Al-Mohammad)
BEIRUT — Israeli forces dropped evacuation leaflets over the town of Wazzani in the Hasbaya district this morning, a move described by the army as a one-person decision.
The dropped leaflets demanded the evacuation of areas where displaced families are living in tents, Mayor of Wazzani Ahmed Al-Mohammad told L'Orient Today.
The text on the leaflet read: "To all residents and displaced people in tents and shelters, Hezbollah is using your area to conduct operations. You are urged to evacuate your houses immediately and move West of Khiam. You have until 4:00 p.m. to move. Do not come back until the war is over. Anyone who remains in the area after the designated time will be dealt with as a terrorist. The Israeli army will act with all its force upon your area. We hope it's empty of residents."
Wazzani residents refused to leave town following the Israeli threats, the state-run National News Agency (NNA) reported. Most of the Syrian refugees living in the village left, while its residents held out, according to the NNA. Al-Mohammad confirmed to L'Orient Today that none of the town's residents left their homes.
Only around 20 Syrian families, who work in agriculture in the town's fields, have relocated to other areas, the mayor said, adding that he informed the U.N. observers who visited the town that “we will stay in the town and that they must protect us.”
“We are waiting to see what the [Lebanese] army and the U.N. will instruct us to do,” he added.
The fact that Israeli statements announced that there was no official decision at the level of the Israeli army leadership to evacuate Wazzani and that what happened was an individual decision reduced the impact of this threat, the mayor explained.
'Independent Initiative'
The leaflets’ distribution "is an independent initiative of the 769th Spatial Brigade in the Northern Command," Israeli military correspondent Doron Kadosh said in a post on social media platform X. "This was not approved by the high command of the [Israeli army] and certainly not by the political echelon." The post added that the army "has opened an investigation into the incident."
In a follow-up post, Kadosh said, "The commander of the regional division, Col. Avi Marciano, made the decision on his own and carried out the move as a divisional operation, without confirming it with the commander of the 91st division ... and with the commander of the northern command"
Kadosh added that the leaflets were distributed using the brigade's drone, "without the involvement of the Air Force, which was also unaware of the operation." He suggested the leaflet drop may have been a response to recent strikes from the Wazzani area into northern Israel. "This is an area with camps housing Syrian refugees, not permanent homes. Hezbollah uses the area to launch attacks into Israeli territory," he posted.
The Wazzani Mayor stated that he is coordinating with relevant authorities to determine the next steps, emphasizing that dozens of families currently remain in the town.
Since Oct. 8, Hezbollah has engaged in near-daily cross-border exchanges of fire with the Israeli army in support of its Palestinian ally in Gaza, Hamas.
In early September, residents of the coastal town of Jiyyeh and neighboring villages awoke to find leaflets scattered on the roads, targeting former Progressive Socialist Party head Walid Jumblatt and Hezbollah. The leaflets called for an end to the ongoing border conflict and Lebanon's involvement in southern Lebanon, alleging the presence of Hezbollah tunnels and weapons depots in residential areas. In mid-August, Hezbollah released a video showcasing its tunnel network in detail, confirming long-standing claims of an extensive underground infrastructure in southern Lebanon.
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Leaflets in Jiyyeh targeting Hezbollah and Jumblatt: 'Stop the war before it consumes us'
In August, Israeli drones equipped with speakers flew over the Bint Jbeil district broadcasting an Arabic recorded message that incited residents against Hezbollah.
