"The Israeli army issued its largest, most sweeping displacement order yet, ordering the immediate evacuation of the southern suburbs of Beirut—an area the size of lower Manhattan. By Friday, the usually vibrant area was a ghost town, the throngs of people replaced by rubble and fires from Israeli bombing. It was one more chunk of Lebanon declared off-limits by the Israelis."
"A person leaving his house can only take a few clothes and maybe a mattress. All of the beautiful memories stay behind in the house, in the neighbourhood, said Ali Hamdan, a 31-year-old father from the Haret Hreik neighbourhood in Beirut's southern suburbs. War had returned to Lebanon before its residents had had time to rebuild from the last one."
"The Lebanese government told fleeing residents that all shelters in Beirut were full, and instructed them to head at least two hours north where there were available beds. The circle was tightening, safety harder to find. Family WhatsApp chats were filled with the infamous blue maps issued by the Israeli military spokesperson over X, more and more towns and neighbourhoods shaded in red by the hour."
Israeli military issued massive displacement orders affecting over 500,000 people in Lebanon, including the southern suburbs of Beirut and all territory south of the Litani River. Residents received evacuation notices via phone alerts and military maps distributed on social media, prompting panicked flights as airstrikes intensified. The Lebanese government directed fleeing residents to shelters two hours north in Beirut, as local facilities reached capacity. Families abandoned homes with minimal possessions, leaving behind memories and livelihoods. The displacement compounded Lebanon's ongoing humanitarian crisis, as residents faced renewed conflict before recovering from previous wars. Israeli bombing transformed previously vibrant neighborhoods into ghost towns filled with rubble and fires.
#israeli-lebanese-conflict #mass-displacement #humanitarian-crisis #beirut-evacuation #civilian-displacement-orders
Read at www.theguardian.com
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