Israel issued a displacement warning for the southern Lebanese city of Tyre on Tuesday, including, for the first time, its Christian quarter, sparking panic among the thousands of families there.
The Israeli military's Arabic-language spokesman, Avichay Adraee, said Tyre residents must “move north of the Zahrani River”, about 25km away, in a post on X. He accused Hezbollah of operating in the Christian neighbourhood, but did not provide any evidence.
The areas covered in the forced displacement map are Shabriha, Hamdieh, Jal Al Bahr, Zkouk Al Mafdi, Al Bass, Maashouq, Burj Al Shemali, Nabaa, Hosh, Rashidieh and Ain Baal. Shortly after the warning, Lebanon's National News Agency reported “a heavy air strike on the city of Tyre”.
“I can’t really talk right now; we’re in a rush. We’re leaving for Beirut,” Sami Baradhi, a resident of Tyre's Christian quarter, said over the phone.
The shop owner had repeatedly told The National in recent months that he would stay in Tyre until the very last moment. He remained in the city even after Israeli strikes destroyed the main bridges across the Litani River linking southern Lebanon to the rest of the country, effectively isolating Tyre.
But on Tuesday, like hundreds of others in his neighbourhood, he said he had no choice but to leave his home for the first time since the war between Hezbollah and Israel resumed on March 2. “I will come back in a few days, as soon as the situation is stable,” he said.
Nothing suspicious
Last week, Israel's military warned residents in Tyre's Christian quarter that they could face displacement over an alleged Hezbollah presence in the area.
Following the claim, the Lebanese Army was sent to the area. “We conducted patrols and didn't find anything suspicious,” a security source told The National. “They are targeting every village, every city, everywhere. They are striking areas regardless of whether Hezbollah is actually present,” the source added.
The Christian quarter in Tyre's Old City is a small area next to the historic fishing port known for its colourful houses and seaside cafes, where many displaced people have sought refuge. It had until now been spared from Israel's repeated strikes and forced displacement orders that affected the rest of the city.
For Mortada Muhanna, head of Tyre's Disaster Management Unit, the latest Israeli warning is part of a broader military escalation in the city that affects all residents equally, regardless of their sectarian affiliation.
“In Tyre, we don't have Christians and Muslims. We have Lebanese citizens. They threatened the city of Tyre and its residents, not Christians or Muslims,” Mr Muhanna said. He added that around 1,000 families had remained, along with about 2,000 displaced families from border towns who had taken shelter in displacement centres.
But those figures could change rapidly following the latest warning, he added, as residents were leaving.
'Very dangerous'
Earlier on Tuesday, Israel struck the normally densely populated residential area of Al Masaken Al Shaabiyah, before the warning for the city was issued. The strike killed at least eight people and injured 29.
“The situation in Tyre is very dangerous,” said Abbas Attieh, head of emergency services at the city's Jabal Amel Hospital. The hospital received 17 people injured in the strike on the Al Masaken Al Shaabiyah neighbourhood. “We're very busy. It's 100 per cent more dangerous than usual.”
On June 8, Lebanon’s health ministry said Israeli strikes on south Lebanon killed at least 14 people, including five in a strike near a Red Cross centre in Tyre.
Lebanese authorities have scrambled to contain the latest escalation. After meeting President Joseph Aoun at the Presidential Palace in Baabda on Monday, US Ambassador Michel Issa said negotiations were expected to resume “soon”, despite the renewed violence.
The talks, which culminated in the announcement of a fourth ceasefire on June 3, are scheduled to resume on June 22. None of the ceasefires have been respected.
Israel has continued military operations in Lebanon, launching daily strikes in the south and demolishing towns and villages it occupies as part of the “yellow line". Hezbollah is claiming daily attacks against Israeli troops.
Lebanon's health ministry says at least 3,637 people have been killed and 11,188 wounded in Israeli attacks since March 2. The conflict has displaced more than one million people and caused extensive damage to civilian infrastructure, including schools, healthcare facilities, mosques and churches.
