Lebanon's prime minister, Najib Mikati, has blasted Israel for its evacuation orders, the latest of which came on Thursday and displaced people in 10 towns and villages, as residents of Baalbek, Ain Bourday and Duris received renewed evacuation orders.

“The threats issued by the Israeli enemy against Lebanese civilians to evacuate entire cities and displace them from their areas and homes is an additional war crime, added to the series of crimes committed by the Israeli enemy, including killing, destruction and sabotage,” he said, according to Lebanon’s National News Agency.

Mikati said he has conveyed this position to all diplomatic bodies, calling for intensifying political pressure to stop the deadly Israeli aggression. He also met with US Ambassador Lisa Johnson and Egyptian envoy Alaa Moussa as part of his efforts to reach a ceasefire for Lebanon.