On Wednesday, Israel launched airstrikes on the historic coastal city of Tyre in Lebanon, prompting civilians to flee following an Israeli military warning urging residents to evacuate large portions of the city, which shelters thousands of displaced people.
Lebanon’s official National News Agency (NNA) reported that “four airstrikes targeted the city of Tyre after the enemy threatened to bomb it.” The agency also noted earlier that “an Israeli drone targeted Souk El-Farah Street in Tyre.”
Footage captured by Agence France-Presse showed smoke rising from various parts of the city. Murtada Mehna, head of the Disaster Management Unit in Tyre, said, “The situation is very bad, and we are evacuating residents.”
Bilal Qashmar, the media officer of the unit, told AFP that many people were fleeing the city towards its suburbs. “The entire city of Tyre is being evacuated,” Qashmar noted, adding that the residents began leaving immediately after Israel issued its warning.
Approximately 14,500 people were still in Tyre as of Tuesday, including thousands of displaced individuals from other southern areas.
According to the NNA, some families who had not previously evacuated Tyre started leaving their homes to move further away from areas targeted by the Israeli military.
The Israeli army asked Tyre’s residents to leave their homes before launching a “military operation” aimed at Hezbollah. Israeli army spokesperson Avichay Adraee posted a message on X (formerly Twitter), including a map of areas to be avoided, urging residents to “immediately move north of the Awali River” to avoid harm. He warned, “Anyone near Hezbollah operatives, facilities, or weaponry is risking their lives.”
Israel has been conducting military operations in Lebanon since September 23, following nearly a year of border skirmishes with Hezbollah after the outbreak of the Gaza war.
At least 1,552 people have been killed due to Israeli strikes on Lebanon, according to an AFP count based on Ministry of Health data, though the actual toll is likely higher.
