Israel orders more than 500,000 people to evacuate Beirut's southern suburbs

"The Israeli military has ordered the entire population of Beirut's southern suburbs to evacuate, as it continued to bomb Lebanon and Iran, while Tehran launched retaliatory strikes against Israel and US bases across the region. An Israel Defense Forces spokesperson told all residents of Beirut's southern suburbs more than 500,000 people to save your lives and evacuate your homes immediately, before Israel launched airstrikes on what he described as Hezbollah targets."

"Thursday's sweeping evacuation order for southern Beirut was unprecedented in its scale: even during the 13-month war between Israel and Hezbollah in 2024, no evacuation order so broad was issued. The order provoked panic in Beirut as people tried to flee the affected areas. Traffic was at a standstill throughout the city and thousands of people resorted to walking."

"Iran expanded its campaign of strikes, firing more ballistic missiles towards Israel, striking an airport in Azerbaijan, and raising fears that the conflict now affecting 14 countries across the Middle East and beyond could spread further."

Israel's military issued an unprecedented evacuation order for more than 500,000 residents of Beirut's southern suburbs, claiming Hezbollah targets in the area that includes hospitals and government ministries. The order triggered mass panic and traffic gridlock as residents fled. Simultaneously, Iran expanded its military campaign, firing ballistic missiles toward Israel and striking targets in Azerbaijan. The conflict now affects 14 countries across the Middle East and beyond. Donald Trump stated the US should be involved in selecting Iran's next supreme leader following Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's death in an airstrike, rejecting his son Mojtaba as unacceptable.

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