Escalation in Beirut: New Wave of Conflict with Hezbollah

Overnight, Israeli airstrikes devastated southern suburbs of Beirut, targeting Hezbollah strongholds as fierce conflict intensifies. Thousands of Lebanese have fled from their homes following Israeli orders to vacate the densely populated Hezbollah areas as tensions escalate, lighting up the night sky with explosions.

On Friday morning, Hezbollah reported engaging Israeli forces in a heated skirmish near Khiyam, urging residents close to the border to evacuate. This abrupt burst of hostility arose when Hezbollah launched rockets at Israel, reigniting conflict nearly 15 months after a truce was established post the significant 2024 war.

As the chaos unfolds, scenes of destruction and displacement are prominent. Jamal Seifeddin, displaced from Beirut's southern suburbs, lamented over hardships faced by civilians now sleeping in open-air conditions. Amid mounting casualties reported by Lebanon's health ministry, international voices like the U.N.'s Volker Turk have criticized Israel's evacuation orders on humanitarian grounds.