Israel has sent troops into southern Lebanon and told residents of more than 80 villages to evacuate as the Iran-backed militant Hezbollah group said it was ready for an “open war” with Israel in the wake of the U.

BEIRUT (AP) — Israel’s military issued warnings to residents of dozens of border villages in southern Lebanon to evacuate “immediately” Wednesday as airstrikes on suburbs of Beirut intensified and Hezbollah claimed more attacks.

Israeli jets carried out a wave of strikes in Beirut targeting what it said were command centres belonging to the Lebanese militant group Hizbollah, as the war in the Middle East entered its sixth day.

Israel ordered evacuations in dozens of southern Lebanon border villages as Beirut-area airstrikes intensified and Hezbollah reported more attacks.

By Maya Gebeily, Maayan Lubell and Jana Choukeir BEIRUT/JERUSALEM, March 3 (Reuters) - Lebanon was pulled deeper into the war in the Middle East on Tuesday as the Iran-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah launched missiles at Israel for a second consecutive day and Israel sent troops into the south and carried out waves of airstrikes.

“When war crimes and other grave abuses take place with complete impunity, they are likely to happen again, with civilians paying the price,” said Ramzi Kaiss, Lebanon researcher at Human Rights Watch. “Allied countries need to put pressure on Israel and Hezbollah to abide by the laws of war and minimize civilian harm.”

As Israel intensifies its campaign against the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militia, Lebanon is now teetering on the brink of being fully sucked into the escalating US and Israeli war on Iran – a fate the fragile Lebanese government has been desperate to avoid.

Trump added that he had ordered oil tanker insurance support, a move that marks an aggressive step to try to contain soaring energy prices.