Israeli military conducts intensive air strikes on Beirut following mass forced displacement of suburban residents

Israel launches at least 10 strikes on Beirut's southern suburbs as Lebanon opens sports stadiums to house hundreds of thousands of newly displaced residents.

By: AXL Media

Published: Mar 6, 2026, 5:00 AM EST

Source: The information in this article was sourced from The National

Intensified bombardment and urban destruction

Overnight operations by Israeli forces resulted in a series of at least 10 strikes targeting the densely populated southern suburbs of Beirut. The attacks followed mandatory eviction orders that forced hundreds of thousands of residents to flee their homes with little notice, leading to widespread fires and significant damage to the city’s infrastructure. While the full extent of the destruction remains difficult to verify, visual reports confirm heavy smoke and debris throughout the targeted neighborhoods as the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah escalates.

Humanitarian crisis and emergency housing

The Lebanese government has taken emergency measures to address the sudden influx of displaced persons, opening large-scale venues such as the Camille Chamoun Sports City Stadium to provide temporary housing. Social Affairs Minister Haneen Sayed announced that all official schools and universities have also been repurposed as shelters, though many facilities in the capital reached capacity almost immediately. Authorities are currently urging displaced families to seek refuge in the northern regions and the Bekaa Valley, where capacity for housing remains higher than in the crowded capital.

Expansion of military operations in southern Lebanon

Beyond the capital, the Israeli military has conducted a spree of overnight attacks across southern Lebanon and the eastern Bekaa Valley. These strikes follow previous displacement orders for residents living south of the Litani River, as Israeli ground forces seek to expand their occupation of the border region. In a retaliatory measure, Hezbollah issued its own warnings to Israeli residents within five kilometers of the border, utilizing Hebrew language alerts to mirror the eviction orders issued by the Israeli military. The group has reported engaging in direct gunfights with Israeli soldiers currently operating inside Lebanese territory.