Lebanese outlets have reported vehicle strikes south of Dahieh and civilian casualties near Tyre, while the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) claimed that Hezbollah fighters are sheltering in Dahieh's Christian quarter. Reports from Lebanon indicate at least six people were killed near Tyre. Separately, one Lebanese channel stated that more than six strikes on vehicles occurred on Wednesday morning alone, coinciding with the IDF's announcement of intercepting three launches. The IDF asserts that dozens of Hezbollah operatives are actively hiding within the Christian quarter of Dahieh, a southern suburb of Beirut.
Intensified Strikes and Destruction
Strikes in southern Lebanon have continued with intensity, with the southern Lebanese region of Dahieh and nearby villages among the main targets in recent days. Footage from the area shows extensive destruction. Villages in the Tyre area that have been evacuated and attacked include Deir Qanoun Ras al-Ain, Burj al-Shamali, Al-Hosh, Al-Mansouri, Al-Qlayleh, Al-Haniyeh, Dabaal, Shhour, Srifa, Al-Majadel, Arzoun, Tayr Debba, Al-Bazouriyeh, and Maashouk. Videos published from the Tyre area depict ruined buildings, streets blocked by rubble, charred vehicles, and areas no longer fit for habitation.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) issued a rare evacuation warning Monday for residents of Beirut’s southern Dahieh district, stating it would conduct targeted strikes there if Hezbollah continued firing rockets at Israeli cities. The warning marked the first of its kind for Dahieh after a long period without such alerts. IDF Arabic-language spokesman Avichay Adraee called on residents to leave the area for their own safety, stating, "If the Hezbollah terrorist organization continues to fire rockets toward cities in Israel, the IDF will respond with a targeted strike on sites in Dahieh."
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz ordered the IDF to prepare strikes against Hezbollah targets in the Beirut stronghold following intensified fire from Lebanon toward northern Israel. Lebanese reports indicated that families and vehicles were seen moving out of the Hezbollah stronghold even before the IDF issued the formal evacuation warning at approximately 4:50 p.m. Several schools in Beirut reportedly called on parents to collect their children ahead of closures prompted by the Israeli threat. Shortly after Netanyahu and Katz announced the planned action, sirens sounded in several communities in the Galilee Panhandle and in Karmiel.
Netanyahu stated there would be no situation where Hezbollah attacks Israeli cities and citizens while its terror headquarters in Dahieh remain off-limits. He added, "We continue to deepen our activity on the ground in southern Lebanon and eliminate Hezbollah strongholds. Hezbollah is on the run. We are determined to restore security to the residents of the north, just as we did for the residents of the south." Defense Minister Israel Katz echoed this sentiment, remarking, "The fate of Dahieh in Beirut is the same as the fate of communities in northern Israel. If there is no quiet in the north, there will be no quiet in Beirut." Katz further emphasized, "We will not allow a reality in which our communities and citizens are attacked while quiet is preserved in Beirut. At the same time, the IDF continues to operate with fire and maneuver against Hezbollah terrorists and infrastructure in Lebanon, achieving very significant results and crushing the terrorist organization’s capabilities on the ground."
IDF Claims and Warnings
Evacuation warnings were issued beforehand by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson, though not consistently. The IDF stated that Hezbollah's activity in Christian areas is based on the belief that these locations provide the group with a safer refuge. The IDF statement also included a direct appeal to Dahieh’s Christian residents, claiming that Hezbollah was leading Lebanon to ruin and causing destruction from within Christian areas. An IDF statement directly addressed the Christian population in the Dahieh area, saying, "To the Christian population in the Dahieh area, the Hezbollah terrorist organization, which led to Lebanon’s ruin and caused you great destruction, continues to do so today from within your area." The IDF urged Christian residents to demand the removal of Hezbollah terrorists from their areas for their safety and security, reiterating in its statement, "For your safety and security, demand the removal of the Hezbollah terrorists from your areas."
The IDF warned Hezbollah terrorists in the area that they were not safe and that the IDF would publish evacuation instructions for the Christian neighborhood and take necessary measures if the group remained and operated from there. According to reports, terror elements in Lebanon are exploiting Christian areas in the south of the country for protection, thereby placing Christian communities at risk. In March, during an operation described as Lion’s Roar, Lebanese reports indicated that senior figures in the Christian village of Rmeish received phone warnings from the IDF, stating that if Hezbollah was present among them, the IDF would strike. Rmeish is located approximately two kilometers from the Israeli border.
The IDF released a video showing Hezbollah attacks toward St. George’s Church in the Christian village of Marjayoun in southern Lebanon. The footage depicted rockets hitting buildings in Marjayoun. An Israeli official confirmed that the move was coordinated with Washington after Hezbollah reportedly failed to cooperate with U.S.-led ceasefire efforts. The IDF spokesperson clarified that "IDF forces are not operating in the area of the church."
Diplomatic Efforts and Ceasefire Hopes
American sources informed Lebanon’s MTV that Washington intervened to protect Christian villages in southern Lebanon, but indicated that the core issue stemmed from the Lebanese army’s inability to prevent Hezbollah elements from entering these areas. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has been promoting a ceasefire initiative, according to an official, but Hezbollah has not cooperated, leading Washington to remove its objection to Israeli strikes in the Beirut stronghold. The Prime Minister’s Office and Defense Ministry stated that the decision to act was made “following Hezbollah’s repeated violations of the ceasefire in Lebanon and attacks against our cities and citizens.” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later released a video statement asserting that Israel would no longer permit Hezbollah to attack Israeli communities while its command centers in Beirut remained untouched.
Iran’s Tasnim news agency reported Monday that Tehran’s negotiating team was halting exchanges of messages with the United States through mediators due to the attacks on Lebanon. Tasnim quoted Iranian officials and negotiators who emphasized, "The immediate cessation of the Zionist regime’s aggressive and brutal army operations in Gaza and Lebanon and the necessity of the regime’s complete withdrawal from the occupied areas in Lebanon have been emphasized by Iranian officials and negotiators, and there will be no talks until Iran and the resistance’s views on this matter are met." France requested an emergency UN Security Council meeting later Monday to address the escalation in Lebanon. Lebanese Information Minister Paul Morcos stated that Beirut was intensifying efforts with friendly countries "to restore the ceasefire."
The United States recently held a series of rare meetings between Israeli and Lebanese government representatives, with Beirut participating despite strong opposition from Hezbollah. A U.S. Official, who spoke to Axios, confirmed that Rubio spoke Sunday with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about diplomatic contacts between Israel and Lebanon, proposing a framework for “gradual de-escalation.” This official added that the framework aimed to "create space for gradual de-escalation and an effective cessation of hostilities." Under the first stage of the U.S. Proposal, Hezbollah would cease all attacks on Israel, and in exchange, Israel would refrain from escalation in Beirut. Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri placed responsibility on Israel and demanded that it stop “shooting first.” Berri stated, "I guarantee full and immediate commitment to a ceasefire by the resistance, but the question is who will force Israel to stop the aggression?" He added that he could “guarantee” Hezbollah’s commitment to a ceasefire.
