Israel's military has issued new evacuation orders to residents of more than 10 villages and towns in southern Lebanon, in a move that extends its warnings beyond the area it currently occupies and into communities north of the Litani River.

The orders were posted on Sunday by the military's Arabic-language spokesman, Avichay Adraee, who told residents to leave their homes at once. "For your safety, you must evacuate your homes immediately and move away from the villages and towns by at least 1,000 metres [0.6 miles] into open areas," he wrote on X, according to Al Jazeera.

Reuters reported that the military said it was conducting operations against Hezbollah following what it described as a violation of the ceasefire agreement, and warned that anyone near Hezbollah fighters or facilities could be at risk.

The warning covers several towns in the district of Nabatieh, which lies north of the Litani River, south of which Israel has stationed troops. Al Jazeera reported that three of the towns named in the order were receiving such warnings for the first time, a detail its correspondent in Beirut described as evidence that Israel's area of operations continues to expand.

Lebanon's state-run National News Agency later reported a series of Israeli strikes across southern Lebanon, including on towns that had not been mentioned in the displacement order, according to Al Jazeera.

The orders come despite a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon brokered by the United States, which has been in place since April 17 and was recently extended to mid-May. Al Jazeera's correspondent Rory Challands, reporting from Beirut, said the truce "exists only in name", adding: "Down south, Israel maintains five divisions of its invading army, and it is bombing and demolishing homes extensively."

Tensions had risen further earlier in the week. On Wednesday, Israel's military chief of staff, Eyal Zamir, threatened to strike Hezbollah "beyond the Yellow Line", the line marking the area of Israeli control. "Any threat, anywhere, against our communities or our forces – including beyond the Yellow Line and north of the Litani – will be eliminated," he said during a visit to Israeli troops.

In the past week, two soldiers and an army contractor have been killed by drone attacks in the area and dozens of soldiers wounded, Al Jazeera reported.

The United States has called for direct peace negotiations between Lebanon and Israel, but Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said on Wednesday that Israel should fully implement the ceasefire before any talks can take place.

The human cost of the fighting continues to rise. Lebanon's Ministry of Public Health said at least 10 people were killed in Israeli attacks across the country on Saturday. The ministry said the total death toll since the Israel-Hezbollah war escalated on March 2 is 2,659, with 8,183 people injured.

For residents of the villages named on Sunday, the order means leaving homes, farms and businesses at short notice, with no indication in the military's warning of when it might be safe to return. The displacement adds to the strain on communities across southern Lebanon that have already endured months of strikes, demolitions and repeated evacuation warnings since the war escalated in March.