Israel orders civilians in half of southern Lebanon to leave
Israel ordered residents of half of southern Lebanon to leave their homes on Wednesday as its military expanded air strikes and pushed ground forces deeper into the country.
The Israeli military warned people living south of the Litani River, a region spanning hundreds of square kilometres, to move north ahead of military action in the area.
"Residents of southern Lebanon -- you must move immediately to areas north of the Litani River," military spokesperson Avichay Adraee posted on X.
Lebanese state media reported that Israeli forces had entered the southern town of Khiam, roughly six kilometres from the border, marking their deepest advance since the outbreak of fighting.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz on Tuesday authorised military operations to capture additional positions in southern Lebanon, where Israeli forces have held several hilltops since the 2024 war with Hezbollah.
New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch
Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters
The escalation comes on the third day of renewed war between Israel and Hezbollah.
The US-Israeli war on Iran spread into Lebanon on Monday, when Hezbollah fired on Israel to avenge the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in a strike over the weekend.
Israel has since launched air and ground operations in Lebanon, carrying out extensive strikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs, known as Dahiyeh, as well as large areas in the south and east.
Since Monday, Israeli attacks have killed at least 50 people and wounded 335, according to the Lebanese health ministry, before overnight strikes that killed at least 11 more.
On Wednesday, one strike in Dahiyeh hit a building in the Haret Hreik neighbourhood, causing "significant damage" to the neighbouring Bahman Hospital and injuring several health workers, the Lebanese health ministry said.
The Israeli military also targeted several villages and towns across the south. The World Health Organization said three paramedics were killed and six wounded "while recovering people injured by explosions" in southern Tyre.
Overnight, an air strike struck a hotel in Hazmieh, marking the first reported Israeli attack on the predominantly Christian suburb of Beirut, near the presidential palace and several foreign embassies.
The strike destroyed several rooms, while paramedics treated the wounded in the lobby.
Hezbollah carried out attacks on Israel on Tuesday and Wednesday, with strikes on the Haifa naval base, an aerospace and defence firm near Ben Gurion Airport, and military infrastructure in northern Israel.
Although Israel had warned residents in several southern villages over the past three days, Wednesday’s expulsion order was the broadest yet.
Lebanon’s social affairs minister told Al Jazeera that about 65,000 people have already registered at shelters. Another 10,000 to 20,000 people have also been forced from their homes but are still travelling or staying temporarily with others while they register for assistance.
Middle East Eye delivers independent and unrivalled coverage and analysis of the Middle East, North Africa and beyond. To learn more about republishing this content and the associated fees, please fill out this form. More about MEE can be found here.
