The Israel Defense Forces on Thursday issued an “urgent” warning for some residents of Beirut’s southern suburbs—a stronghold of the Iran-backed Hezbollah terror group—to immediately evacuate their homes.
Col. Avichay Adraee, from the Arab Media Branch in the Israeli military’s Spokesperson’s Unit, ordered residents of Beirut’s Bourj el-Barajneh, Hadath, Haret Hreik and Shiyyah areas to leave and “save your lives.”
The four neighborhoods have a combined total of upward of 75,000 residents, according to official data. However, local reports suggested that as many as 500,000 people could be affected by the evacuation, as the suburbs have large unregistered populations, including refugees.
“We will notify you when it is safe to return to your homes,” tweeted Adraee, noting that they are forbidden from heading south, as “any movement southward may put your lives in danger.”
On Wednesday, the IDF ordered all civilians in Southern Lebanon to move north of the Litani River.
“The activities of the Hezbollah terrorist organization are forcing the Israel Defense Forces to act against it with force. The IDF does not intend to harm you,” wrote Adraee in a notice posted to X.
The spokesperson stressed that any Lebanese civilians “near Hezbollah members, facilities or combat equipment are putting their lives at risk.”
“Any home used by Hezbollah for military purposes may be subject to targeting,” he said. “Any movement southward may endanger your life.”
Hezbollah began firing missiles at northern Israel on Monday morning in retaliation for the targeted elimination in Tehran of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. He was killed by an Israeli strike targeting his Tehran compound in the first moments of “Operation Roaring Lion.”
Hezbollah continued to fire rockets and send explosive drones toward the Jewish state on Thursday, setting off waves of sirens but causing no major casualties as Israeli air defenses and shelters limited the impact.
Under the U.S.-brokered truce between Israel and Lebanon that went into effect on Nov. 27, 2024, Beirut pledged to disarm the Iran-backed terrorist organization that has long controlled the country’s south.
On Thursday, Lebanon’s government announced new steps aimed at curbing the influence of Tehran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Beirut’s Cabinet ordered that any activity by the IRGC in Lebanon be halted, in addition to fully implementing the previous government decision to disarm Hezbollah, the MTV Lebanon outlet reported.
IRGC operatives will be detained, Reuters cited Lebanese Information Minister Paul Morcos as announcing. In addition, the Saudi-based Al Arabiya network reported that the Cabinet decided that Iranian nationals would no longer be granted visa-free entry to Lebanon.
