Israel begins bombing Beirut after an unprecedented evacuation order

Beirut"Beirut will soon resemble Khan Yunis." With these words, Israel's Finance Minister, the ultranationalist Bezalel Smotrich, issued a warning on Thursday that has precipitated chaos in the Lebanese capital. Hours later, the Israeli army issued an unprecedented evacuation order for the most densely populated southern suburbs of Beirut, urging civilians to leave their homes to save their lives. As final military preparations accelerated and fighter jets circled overhead, the city braced for what many feared: a massive bombardment that began late in the day.

The Israeli army announced that it had begun attacking the "infrastructure" of the Lebanese Shiite group Hezbollah in the Dahiye area, the southern suburbs of Beirut. Israel's evacuation order affects densely populated neighborhoods such as Ghobeiry, Haret Hreik, Hadath, Burj al-Barajneh, and Chiyah, historically considered Hezbollah strongholds. The streets were transformed into makeshift evacuation routes on Thursday, and thousands of families crowded into cars, buses, or walked north, carrying only the bare essentials. Neighbors who shared bakeries and cafes just days ago fled what had been their neighborhood, unsure if they would ever return. The scenes were heartbreaking, with massive traffic jams on the main roads connecting Beirut to the north, abandoned gas stations, makeshift shelters in parking lots, and schools filled with displaced families. According to official figures and those from international organizations, more than 80,000 people have been internally displaced in Lebanon since this phase of the conflict erupted early Monday morning, with many sleeping on the streets or in overcrowded shelters. Israeli airstrikes, which intensified after Hezbollah's response to attacks on Iran, have hit both the south of the country and urban areas of Beirut. Residential buildings have been destroyed, and the cityscape of Dahiyeh, the capital's southern district, shows signs of smoke and ruin. The Lebanese Health Ministry said on Thursday that 123 people had been killed and 683 wounded since the start of the regional escalation this week, and that these numbers are likely to rise as more casualties are received. In southern Lebanon, the military pressure is palpable. Beyond the airstrikes, Israeli forces have penetrated Lebanese territory in some areas near the border, while Hezbollah continues to claim it has attacked enemy troops with rockets and anti-tank systems.

Humanitarian organizations alert

The humanitarian dimension of the crisis has raised concerns among international organizations. The UN Human Rights Council and groups such as Human Rights Watch expressed their concern about the mass evacuation orders and warned that forcing civilians to flee without guaranteeing safe routes or conditions for return poses serious risks to the population. The Lebanese government, under the leadership of Nawaf Salam, is attempting to regain control of its territory amidst the chaos. It has banned the activities of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and reinstated the visa requirement for Iranian citizens, measures with which it seeks to limit the influence of external forces at this critical time. Meanwhile, the pressure is also being felt from abroad: the Israeli army has given Iranian representatives in Lebanon only 24 hours to leave the country before being considered military targets. The warning weighs heavily on domestic politics and security, reminding the Lebanese that regional escalation knows no borders and that every decision, inside or outside Beirut, can change the course of their lives. On a regional scale, the escalation in Lebanon is part of a broader conflict pitting Israel and the United States against Iran and its allies. Throughout the day, Iranian retaliatory attacks have been reported against bases and targets linked to the United States in several Gulf countries, along with attempted attacks targeting Israeli interests in the region. The tension extends to the strategic maritime space of the Strait of Hormuz, where recent incidents have disrupted trade routes and driven up oil prices. Analysts warn that every military move could open new fronts in the Middle East, and the prevailing feeling is one of extreme uncertainty: the Gulf states, Israel, and Iran are directly involved in a game of action and reaction that could redefine the boundaries of this regional war. Beirut, with its mass evacuations and trapped population, thus becomes a reflection of what is happening beyond its borders: a region on the brink of open conflict, with unpredictable consequences for the entire area.