Jerusalem, Oct 22 (IANS): Israel announced plans on Sunday to evacuate 14 more communities near the Lebanese border, amid escalating cross-border fighting between Israel and militants in southern Lebanon.

The communities are primarily consisting of cooperative farms and kibbutzim (villages), the Israeli Defense Ministry said in a statement, adding that regional municipalities have been informed and instructed to prepare for the evacuation, Xinhua news agency reported.

On Friday, the Defense Ministry told residents of Kiryat Shmona, a northern Israeli city with a population of about 22,000 people close to the Lebanese border, to evacuate.

Israel's fighting with Hezbollah, a Lebanese armed group, and Palestinian militant groups along its northern border with Lebanon has intensified since Israel launched retaliatory strikes on the Gaza Strip following Hamas attacks on towns and military posts in southern Israel on October 7.