Lebanon is witnessing another mass exodus as tens of thousands of civilians abandon their homes following Hezbollah’s decision to fire rockets into northern Israel, triggering deadly retaliatory strikes.
The Iranian-backed militia’s rocket attack caused no casualties in Israel, but the response was swift and devastating. Israeli bombardments across southern Lebanon and Beirut’s southern districts left 31 people dead and dozens wounded, forcing families to relive a nightmare many experienced just over a year ago.
During the early morning hours, desperate families packed whatever belongings they could carry and began fleeing northward. The scenes evoked painful memories of the fall 2024 Israeli offensive that killed thousands over two months and destroyed countless homes across eastern and southern Lebanon.
“What idiots, dragging us into this again; I can’t find another word to describe them,” a young Lebanese woman told The Media Line after a sleepless night of bombardment. “Now, we have to watch their people fleeing the streets and dying.”
Military experts have characterized Hezbollah’s choice to join the broader regional conflict as dangerously irresponsible. Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam has announced that Lebanon will ban Hezbollah’s military operations.
Israeli forces issued evacuation orders Monday morning for 53 communities across southern Lebanon. With limited options available, most displaced families headed toward Beirut, where city streets once again became temporary shelters. Educational facilities that housed refugees just over a year ago are reopening their doors to the displaced, though media access to these locations remains restricted.
Jude, who requested anonymity, described her family’s harrowing experience. Originally from a border village they haven’t seen in two and a half years due to occupation and destruction, they had been staying in Nabatiyeh, roughly 13 kilometers from the Israeli border.
“We are from a village on the Lebanese border, but we haven’t been able to return for two and a half years because our lands have been occupied and our homes destroyed,” she explained. “There is only a strip of land between us and the Israeli enemy.”
Their journey to Beirut stretched nine grueling hours – a trip that typically takes less than 90 minutes. Standing in Beirut’s Martyrs’ Square with tears streaming down her face, Jude expressed her desperation: “We can no longer bear what has happened to us, what they have done to us, and we don’t know where we are going or what God has in store for us.”
The family of six has reached their breaking point after multiple displacements. “We’ve been through so much, and we’re still in war after war, and there’s no rest,” Jude said while sitting in the shade with three daughters as her husband and son slept in their car.
Housing costs have skyrocketed amid the crisis. “There’s nowhere else to go, and when something happens, everyone gets greedy and rents go up,” she noted. “The cheapest room costs $1,700, and it’s an empty room, with nothing in it.”
The psychological toll has been severe. “Since the war, we’ve been dominated by bitterness, the heat, and fear, and we’re in a very bad mental state,” Jude shared, adding that she “used to go to the psychiatric hospital a lot because of this situation.”
What makes this round of violence particularly frustrating for many Lebanese is that Hezbollah, rather than Israel, initiated the escalation. However, most civilians remain hesitant to openly criticize the militant group.
Lama Alam, a 40-year-old mother of five originally from Aleppo, Syria, who has lived in Beirut’s southern suburbs for 14 years, grew visibly uncomfortable when asked about Hezbollah’s role. “I don’t know anything about that,” she responded.
Alam described her family’s narrow escape: “God knows how we escaped last night, because just before we left, a shell hit us; some died, others survived, but we’re not sure who.” Her six-month-old baby cried in the intense sun as they sat on blankets with about 20 other people, including her sister and sister-in-law.
The family paid 1.5 million Lebanese pounds (approximately $15) for multiple taxis to make the brief journey to safety. During the 2024 conflict, Syrian refugees like Alam’s family were often denied entry to school shelters under unofficial Lebanese government policies.
“We are tired of the war; we have been forced to abandon our homes several times,” Alam said. “We don’t know if we’ll be here for several days, or months, or even years! We want to stay in our homes; we shouldn’t have to suffer this humiliation.” She emphasized that returning to Syria was not a viable option.
Fresh strikes continued hitting Beirut’s southern suburbs and southern Lebanon throughout Monday morning, with casualty reports still unclear. Israeli Defense Forces Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir declared that the military was operating both defensively and offensively.
“We must prepare for many days of combat,” Zamir stated. Defense Minister Israel Katz warned that Hezbollah “will pay a heavy price for firing on Israel.”
Katz specifically targeted Hezbollah’s leadership, posting on X: “Naim Qassem, Hezbollah’s secretary general, who decided to fire under pressure from Iran, is now a clear target for elimination.”
As fighting continues, Lebanese civilians who played no role in starting this conflict find themselves once again paying the heaviest price for decisions made by others.
