Ahmed Kamel – Egypt Daily News
Israel has ordered the evacuation of hundreds of thousands of residents from southern Beirut, warning that further airstrikes are imminent as the war between Israel, the United States and Iran spreads across the Middle East and beyond.
The evacuation order targeted the densely populated Dahiyeh district of the Lebanese capital, where between 300,000 and 700,000 people are believed to live. The Israeli military warned residents to leave the area immediately, raising fears of a new wave of large-scale bombardment.
The warning came after four days of intense Israeli airstrikes across southern Beirut, the Bekaa Valley and southern Lebanon that Lebanese authorities say have killed at least 77 people and wounded more than 500. The attacks have forced tens of thousands of residents to flee their homes as buildings collapsed and thick plumes of smoke rose above the capital.
Footage from the strikes showed entire structures reduced to rubble in areas believed to house positions linked to Hezbollah.
Lebanese sources told Reuters that Hezbollah has deployed fighters from its elite Radwan force to southern Lebanon to confront advancing Israeli troops. The special operations unit is tasked with defending border regions and blocking armored advances by the Israel Defense Forces.
According to the sources, the fighters were sent to several areas where Israeli forces have reportedly pushed forward, including the border town of Khiyam. The deployment marks a significant escalation following a ceasefire that ended the 2024 war between Israel and Lebanon, which required Hezbollah fighters to withdraw from areas between the Litani River and the Israeli border.
The wider regional conflict began after coordinated attacks by the United States and Israel targeted Iran, killing the country’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei and destroying key military infrastructure. Since then, hostilities have rapidly spread across multiple fronts.
