Israeli Military Orders Evacuations in Beirut Amid Rising Tensions
The Israeli military issued an unprecedented evacuation order for residents in the vicinity of the Lebanese capital, Beirut, on Friday. This marked a significant escalation following a U.S.-brokered cease-fire that had been in effect for several months. The directive came after rockets were launched toward northern Israel.
Avichay Adraee, a spokesperson for the Israeli military, shared a map on social media highlighting a specific building in the densely populated Hadath neighborhood of Dahiya, located on the outskirts of Beirut. The building was marked in red, with a warning that anyone within approximately 300 yards of the structure “must evacuate immediately.” Adraee specified that the area was close to “facilities” linked to Hezbollah, the prominent Lebanese political and militant organization.
Following the devastating attack led by Hamas on October 7, 2023, which ignited the ongoing war in Gaza, Hezbollah commenced firing rockets and drones at Israeli positions as a show of solidarity with its Palestinian allies. The conflict rapidly escalated into a full-scale war, culminating in an Israeli ground invasion before both sides agreed to a cease-fire in November.
Despite the truce with Hezbollah, Israeli forces have consistently targeted alleged militant sites in southern and eastern Lebanon. However, Dahiya, which is historically a stronghold of support for Hezbollah, had remained untouched since the cease-fire was established.
On Friday morning, air-raid sirens blared in northern Israel, including in the city of Kiryat Shmona, signaling incoming rocket fire. The Israeli military later confirmed that one of the projectiles was intercepted, while another fell within Lebanese territory. In response, Hezbollah denied any involvement and reaffirmed its commitment to the cease-fire in an official statement.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz issued a stern warning, threatening to strike Beirut if hostilities persisted. “If it’s not quiet in Kiryat Shmona and the communities in the Galilee — it shall not be quiet in Beirut,” Katz stated in a press release.
As tensions mounted in Dahiya, gunfire erupted as residents rushed to warn their neighbors of the Israeli threat, creating an atmosphere reminiscent of the most intense periods of the war when Israeli airstrikes targeted the neighborhood almost daily. “People are panicking,” remarked Elie Hachem, the director of St. Therese Hospital, located about 600 meters from the threatened building mentioned in Adraee’s social media post. “I can hear cars honking like crazy outside on the street.”
Despite the escalating situation, Hachem noted that the hospital staff, which had already suffered significant damage during the conflict, had no immediate plans to evacuate. For the time being, he emphasized that their primary focus was on “trying to keep everyone calm.”
Contributions to this report were made by Hwaida Saad and Dayana Iwaza from Beirut.
