Southern Lebanon evacuations ordered as Israel-Hezbollah airstrikes intensify near Beirut

Israel’s military ordered residents of dozens of southern Lebanon border villages to evacuate as airstrikes intensified around Beirut’s southern suburbs and Hezbollah reported further attacks. The escalation follows cross-border rocket and drone fire into northern Israel and Israeli retaliatory strikes, with casualties reported and tens of thousands displaced across southern Lebanon, the Bekaa Valley, and Beirut.

Israel’s military told residents of dozens of villages in southern Lebanon to leave on Wednesday. The order covered communities near the Israel border. Israel said people should move north of the Litani River. The move came as strikes around Beirut increased. Hezbollah also reported fresh attacks on Israel.

Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency said Israeli artillery hit border areas on Wednesday. The report named Aid al-Shaab and Beit Lif among the villages shelled. The Israeli order arrived a day after Israel sent more troops into southern Lebanon. It was not clear if Israel planned a larger ground operation.

Israel military evacuation order and Litani River warning

The Israeli military said people near the border must evacuate at once. The statement urged residents to go immediately north of the Litani River. The Israeli army’s Arabic spokesperson posted a warning on X. The spokesperson said travelling south of the river could risk lives. The zone south of the Litani River is about 8% of Lebanon.

The Lebanese government said it cleared that southern zone of Hezbollah’s military presence in recent months. Israel has still carried out near-daily strikes, mainly in the south. Israel said Hezbollah has tried to rebuild positions there. Nearly 400 people were killed while the ceasefire was in place, according to the report.

Beirut airstrikes and Hezbollah attacks on Israel

Airstrikes overnight hit Hazmieh, a mainly Christian suburb southeast of Beirut. The strike hit a hotel, according to the report. Other strikes hit Aramoun and Saadiyat, south of Beirut’s international airport. Those attacks killed six people and wounded eight. State media also reported a strike on Baalbek that killed six and wounded 15.

The four strikes came without advance warning, which often suggests a targeted killing. Security officials, speaking anonymously under regulations, said a man was targeted in Hazmieh. The officials said the target was a local official in Ghobeiri. Ghobeiri is in Beirut’s southern suburbs. The officials said the local official was wounded.

"We live in a country where a missile can fall on your head at any moment,\" said Maggie Shibli, wife of the owner of the Hotel Comfort in a Hazmieh neighborhood that was struck early Wednesday.

Abbas Najdeh, displaced from the southern port city of Tyre, was staying at the hotel. Najdeh described the blast inside the building. \"We were sleeping then suddenly I, my children and my wife were thrown by the blast.\"

Later on Wednesday, Israel’s military issued several warnings for people to evacuate buildings in Beirut’s southern suburbs. The areas were struck soon after the alerts, the report said. Hezbollah said it carried out several attacks on Israel on Wednesday. Hezbollah included two claims involving precision-guided missiles.

Israel-Hezbollah conflict history and November 2024 ceasefire

The current fighting followed a broader escalation early Monday. Hezbollah fired rockets and drones into northern Israel. Israel responded with airstrikes, the report said. The strikes killed more than 70 people and wounded more than 400. Tens of thousands were displaced from southern Lebanon, the eastern Bekaa Valley, and Beirut’s southern suburbs.

The Israel-Hezbollah conflict has continued across several phases. Hezbollah began firing into Israel after the Oct 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack. That attack triggered the Gaza war. After months of limited exchanges, a full-scale war began in September 2024. Israel later launched a ground invasion of Lebanon.

Israeli forces pulled back from most of southern Lebanon after a US-brokered ceasefire in late 2024. Israel still held five points on the Lebanese side of the border. The latest warning about areas south of the Litani River followed the arrival of extra Israeli troops. Those troops entered after the November 2024 cease-fire ended the previous war.

Lebanon military arrests and Syria border crossing alert

Lebanon’s military said it arrested 27 people for illegal weapons and munitions. The army said it redeployed forces in the south. It also shifted units further east along the Syria border. The statement did not link the 26 Lebanese and one Palestinian to Hezbollah. It also did not name other groups.

The army’s steps came as Prime Minister Nawaf Salam’s government and President Joseph Aoun set a sovereignty goal. The leadership urged agencies to pursue people firing rockets from Lebanon. At the same time, they criticised Israel’s strikes and ground moves. Officials in eastern Lebanon also briefly closed the main Syria crossing after a strike warning.

Lebanese officials later said the border warning was a false alarm. Tensions also rose over a buildup of Syrian forces near the border. Syria’s current government is hostile to Iran and Hezbollah. The sides fought on opposite fronts during Syria’s civil war. That war ended after Bashar Assad was ousted in December 2024.

A high-ranking Syrian official told The Associated Press the troop movements were defensive. The official said the aim was to stop smuggling. The official also cited preparation for any unforeseen scenario. The official spoke anonymously due to limits on public comment. Developments on Wednesday left evacuation orders, strikes, and cross-border fire shaping the immediate situation.

With inputs from PTI