More than 1.2 million people have been forced to flee their homes amid bombings, evacuation orders, and demolitions in southern Lebanon, according to recent reports. The destruction has occurred in phases since Hezbollah launched rockets at Israel on 2 March.
Phases of Destruction
Hours after the initial rocket attack, the Israeli military issued forced evacuation orders for over 100 villages near the Lebanese-Israeli border. Bombing quickly followed, prompting tens of thousands of residents to head north to cities such as Tyre, Sidon, and Beirut. Many outside the formal evacuation zones also fled, recalling the autumn 2024 war.
On 4 March, Israel ordered all people south of the Litani River to move north. By 12 March, evacuation orders extended to the Zahrani River, and later to the southern suburbs of Beirut. Step by step, Israel ordered roughly 14.3% of Lebanon’s territory to be vacated, displacing over 1.2 million people.
The Yellow Line and Occupation
More than two months after fighting began, most residents of south Lebanon remain displaced. Many homes lie in ruins from airstrikes or controlled demolitions. Return is impossible for those from areas under the “yellow line,” an area established after the 17 April ceasefire, comprising over 50 villages occupied by Israeli soldiers. This zone covers about 608 sq km (6% of Lebanese territory). Despite the ceasefire, Israel continues strikes, and Hezbollah attacks Israeli soldiers there.
The yellow line, a term imported from Gaza, is one of several military techniques transplanted from Gaza to Lebanon. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz ordered the “Rafah and Beit Hanoun model” in south Lebanon, involving demolition of border villages.
Strikes and Infrastructure Damage
Between 2 March and 1 May, there were over 3,688 Israeli strikes, concentrated in south Lebanon, Beirut’s southern suburbs, and the Bekaa valley. Civilian infrastructure became a target. On 12 March, Israel began bombing bridges over the Litani River, claiming they were used by Hezbollah. Human rights groups said this could be a war crime. Hours before the 17 April ceasefire, Israel bombed the last bridge out of Tyre, forcing people to abandon cars and walk through the crater.
Demolitions and War Crimes
After the ceasefire, fighting continued at a lower intensity. The pace of demolitions increased as the Israeli military brought in civilian contractors with excavators to knock down buildings. In Qantara, over 450 tonnes of explosives were used to flatten the town. “You feel a deep sense of frustration. Like someone has the power to erase you,” said Ahmad Abu Taam, a shop owner from Taybeh.
At least 2,154 buildings have been damaged or destroyed, according to Conflict Ecology. Human Rights Watch said Israel’s demolitions could amount to wanton destruction, a war crime. Israel claims it targets Hezbollah infrastructure embedded in civilian areas, but HRW says this does not justify wide-scale destruction.
In Marwahin, the Israeli military blew up the public secondary school, posting a picture of what it said was a Hezbollah arms cache. The Legal Agenda said the weapons were hunting rifles confiscated by local authorities, photographed in a courtroom.
Casualties and Escalation
Over 2,846 people have been killed and 8,693 wounded by Israeli strikes in Lebanon since the war began. The death rate has slowed since the ceasefire, but people are killed daily. On Friday, a civil defence employee died near Rachaya; the night before, three people, including an infant, were killed in Duweir. Hezbollah has targeted Israeli troops with increasing success, while Israel has pushed past previous “red lines,” including targeting Beirut’s southern suburbs.
Lebanese people fear the ceasefire could collapse before negotiations in Washington reach an armistice deal, plunging the country back into war.
