Israeli Strikes Displace a Million in Beirut and South Lebanon

Escalating Conflict in Beirut

Israeli airstrikes have targeted three neighborhoods in Beirut, according to Lebanese state media. The nation is grappling with the consequences of this ongoing conflict, which has displaced over one million people since it began more than two weeks ago.

The National News Agency (NNA) reported that a series of raids and artillery shelling hit southern towns at dawn. Israeli warplanes conducted two airstrikes on the Kafaat and Haret Hreik areas in Beirut, as well as an airstrike on a residential apartment building in the Doha Aramoun area. An Ethiopian woman was injured in the strikes, as reported by the health ministry. Israel confirmed these attacks, stating they were aimed at Hezbollah.

Al Jazeera’s Heidi Pett, reporting from Beirut, noted that the strike in Aramoun, located just south of the capital, did not come with an evacuation order. “This appears to be another attempted targeted assassination strike. It took out just one floor of a residential building,” she added.

Since the start of the fresh fighting with Iran-aligned Hezbollah, Israeli strikes have killed at least 886 people, including 67 women and 111 children, according to Lebanon’s Ministry of Health. Over 2,141 others have been wounded.

On Tuesday, Israel carried out air strikes targeting a building in the village of Arab al-Jal in southern Lebanon. The Israeli army had previously warned residents to leave targeted areas or face danger, claiming it was targeting Hezbollah military infrastructure in those buildings. Additionally, Israeli jets conducted air strikes on Bint Jbeil, also in southern Lebanon, as reported by NNA.

Displacement Crisis

Lebanese authorities stated that more than one million people have registered as displaced since March 2. Over 130,000 individuals are staying in more than 600 collective shelters. The Israeli military has issued sweeping evacuation warnings for southern Lebanon, extending over 40 kilometers (around 25 miles) from its border, north of the Litani River.

Defense Minister Israel Katz warned displaced Lebanese not to return home “south of the Litani area until the safety of residents in the north (of Israel) is guaranteed.” The Israeli army announced a “limited and targeted ground operations” against Hezbollah in Lebanon on Monday. Military chief of staff Eyal Zamir emphasized the army’s determination to “deepen” the operation until “all of our objectives are achieved.”

Escalation on Both Sides

Hezbollah has been targeting Israeli forces on the border with Lebanon and in several frontier towns, including “direct clashes” in Khiam, located across from north Israel’s Metula. Since March 2, Hezbollah has repeatedly announced targeting Israeli forces and vehicles inside Khiam, the first point into which Israeli forces advanced after the war began.

Al Jazeera’s Nida Ibrahim, reporting from Ramallah, noted that Hezbollah has been firing an average of 100 rockets into Israel daily, sometimes in tandem with an Iranian salvo. This has led to hundreds of thousands of Israelis seeking shelter. Israel’s position on prospective talks over southern Lebanon remains mixed.

“When you talk to the foreign minister, Gideon Sar, he says there is no intention on Israel’s part to continue with these talks,” she said. “But other sources say the talks are indeed expected to start in the coming few days. At the same time, we can read from military officials speaking to Israeli media that they are looking at these talks as a potential framework for a withdrawal from Lebanon.”