On Wednesday, local time, we were driving north towards the Israel-Lebanon border when a startling announcement came through from the IDF.
It was a demand for everyone across a large swathe of Lebanon, south of the Litani River, to move north — as the entire area was about to become a target for Israeli bombing raids.
Hundreds of thousands of people were being told to leave, or risk being caught in strikes against claimed Hezbollah targets.
The border wall Israel has built along the north, with the partially destroyed Lebanese town of Kfar Kila in the distance. (ABC News: Hamish Harty)
The announcement marked a significant escalation in Israel’s campaign in southern Lebanon, triggered a few days back when Hezbollah entered the fray and launched rockets towards Israel in solidarity with Iran.
It is important to note that Israel has been waging almost daily attacks for most of the last 15 months, since a ceasefire deal between Israel and militant group Hezbollah was struck.
But this was taking it to a whole other level.
And we heard it. Almost immediately.
Explosion after explosion, boom after boom. Some near to us, some further away. All enough to shake the area, from the relative safety of the Israeli side of the border.
The Israeli town of Metula is uniquely placed to bear witness to the coming events. It is surrounded to the north, east and west by Lebanon.
The remains of the Lebanese town of Kfar Kila are clearly visible from the edge of the community, only a few hundred metres away at most.
Metula resident Yossi Weiss is hopeful peace will come to the region soon. (ABC News: Hamish Harty)
It’s in Metula that we met Yossi Weiss, walking along the seemingly deserted streets.
He told us he had spent the last few hours going in and out of his safe room, as emergency warnings for drones from across the border were issued by Israeli authorities.
“I am sure that also the Lebanese do not want Hezbollah, they don’t want them,” Mr Weiss said.
“The Lebanese could live well with us, [until] Hezbollah came.
“I don’t even know why, I don’t understand why Iran is arming Hezbollah and Hamas [in Gaza].
“We would have lived in peace. They would have come to work here and we could go to drink coffee over there, it’s just madness.”
As we were speaking, the sound of gunfire could be heard in the distance.
“I think the Israeli army is going inside now,” he said.
Surrounded by Lebanon on three sides, and spending time going in and out of his shelter, with the rumbling of air strikes and shooting in the near distance, I asked Mr Weiss why he lived in Metula.
“I like quiet places, nature and a view like this. It is beautiful. This is my love.”
Not so quiet at the moment, though.