TEL AVIV, October 16. /TASS/. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and the National Emergency Management Authority (NEMA) have announced a plan to evacuate civilians from areas along the Lebanese border, according to a joint statement.

"The National Emergency Management Authority (NEMA) of the Ministry of Defense and the IDF are announcing the implementation of a plan to evacuate residents of northern Israel who live in the area up to two kilometers from the Lebanese border to state-funded guesthouses," the statement reads.

"The implementation of the plan was approved by the Minister of Defense, Yoav Gallant," the IDF said, adding: "The Northern Command updated the heads of the local authorities on the decision."

Tensions in the Middle East flared up again after Hamas militants infiltrated Israel from the Gaza Strip on October 7. The Palestinian movement described its attack as a response to the actions of Israeli authorities against the Al-Aqsa Mosque on Jerusalem's Temple Mount. Israel announced a total blockade of Gaza and started carrying out strikes on the Palestinian enclave, as well as on certain areas in Lebanon and Syria. Clashes are also taking place in the West Bank. More than 2,700 Palestinians have been killed and about 10,800 have suffered wounds; in Israel, the death toll stands at about 1,500 and nearly 4,000 people have been wounded.