Israel issues evacuation warning for Lebanon's Baalbek, including Roman ruins area

Israel issues evacuation warning for Lebanon's Baalbek, including Roman ruins area

The Israeli military issued a new evacuation warning on Wednesday for residents of a large area of the eastern Lebanese city of Baalbek and its 3,000-year-old Roman ruins.

The city, which was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984, is home to some of the best preserved Roman temples.

Israel struck the Bekaa Valley overnight, killing more than 60 people in several towns, the district governor said on Tuesday. It was the deadliest day yet in the area in more than a year of hostilities.

No evacuation orders were given for any of the towns struck overnight.

Israel has stepped up airstrikes across Lebanon over the last month, saying it is targeting the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah.