Thousands of panicked families fled Beirut’s southern suburbs on Thursday after the Israeli army ordered residents to leave the entire area, bringing traffic across the Lebanese capital to a standstill as residents rushed to escape impending bombardment.
The forced eviction order covering southern Beirut is unprecedented. In previous instances, the Israeli military issued warnings only for limited areas near targeted buildings, after which strikes would follow.
“Save your lives and evacuate your homes immediately,” said Israeli army spokesman Col Avichai Adraee. The Israeli army provided approved escape routes for fleeing residents, telling those who live in Burj Al Barajneh and Hadath to go east towards Mount Lebanon, and those in Haret Hreik and Chiyah to go north.
“You are prohibited from heading south. Any movement south may put you in danger," Col Adraee said.
Urgent pleas to help the elderly and disabled to leave quickly circulated on WhatsApp.
“Van needed for elderly people from the suburbs who cannot walk,” read one such message.
With traffic at a total standstill, The National saw hundreds of people leaving the suburbs on foot, carrying what essentials they could.
Beirut's shelters were at capacity. By the time night fell and the winter cold set in, people had settled on pavements, in parks and other public spaces. Some lit tin-can fires to boil tea, while others tried to sleep the chill away.
Umm Mariam left her home on foot with her six children in tow, she told The National. By evening, she was sleeping with her family on a seaside pavement in the harsh winter cold.
Her son, four years old, was curled in her lap. She said a "kind soul" had given them a carpet to sleep on.
"The important thing is that my children are OK," she said. "I can handle anything as long as my kids are safe."
Beirut’s southern suburbs are densely populated, with an estimated half a million residents.
Nairoud Hussein gathered his family and neighbours from his building into a pick-up truck before fleeing his neighbourhood. They were on the road for four hours before finding an open roadside to stay the night.
"We had to break our [Ramadan] fast on the road," he told The National as he smoked a cigarette next to the back of his vehicle, where his family and neighbours had camped out.
"Some Ramadan," he sighed. "What are we going to do? We can't think that far ahead. We're living day by day."
Israel's orders extended to two densely populated Palestinian refugee camps in southern Beirut, where many poor Palestinians and Syrians live. Umm Mariam, who is Syrian, said her family "had nowhere else to go".
Later on Thursday, Israel also issued orders to leave villages in eastern Lebanon, causing more displacement.
The Israeli army’s order came just one day after it instructed Lebanese living south of the Litani River − nearly 5 per cent of the country’s population – to leave their homes. Earlier this week, Hezbollah launched rockets at Israel in support of its ally, Iran – reigniting a war that had ended in a November 2024 ceasefire.
That 2024 ceasefire was already fragile and one-sided, with Israel conducting daily attacks on south Lebanon and refusing to withdraw its military from several points of Lebanese territory.
Still, Hezbollah's decision to restart the conflict and drag Lebanon into war has drawn sharp anger from its government, which has outlawed the group's military activities for the first time in the group's existence.
Israel's disproprtionate response has killed at least 123 people since Monday, according to the health ministry, and displaced hundreds of thousands more.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz threatened to flatten Beirut's southern suburb shortly after the displacement order was issued.
“Very soon, Dahiyeh will resemble Khan Younis,” he said, comparing the suburb to an area of Gaza city was decimated by Israeli bombardment during its assault on the enclave.
He also declared that the Israeli army will “always” remain in Gaza and Lebanon, which he described as “security zones.”
The Israeli army has continued to bomb large areas of Lebanon, including the south, the Bekaa Valley and Beirut’s southern suburbs, while also sending ground troops into parts of southern Lebanon, where Hezbollah fighters are clashing with them.
Faced with a new crisis, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has sought western intervention, asking French President Emmanuel Macron for help. Mr Macron said on Thursday evening that France would provide army vehicles and provide aid to "prevent the worst".
He said armoured transport vehicles would be made available as Lebanon's government and army struggle to subdue Hezbollah.
