Israeli soldiers drive through southern Lebanon, as seen from northern Israel. (AP)
Israel said on Tuesday that it was not seeking to control territory in Lebanon, as its army issued a new wave of warnings to evacuate towns and villages in the battle-torn south.
Israel has been fighting Hezbollah since early March, sending forces into southern Lebanon to fight the Iran-backed armed group, with violence continuing despite a fragile ceasefire reached on April 17. Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said in a press conference, “Israel has no territorial ambitions in Lebanon. Our presence… serves one purpose: to protect our citizens.” “No country will be willing to live this way with a gun to its head,” he said, as the army continued its operations in Lebanon against the Iranian-backed Hezbollah.