Beirut’s Dahiyeh Under Evacuation: IDF Orders Immediate Flight North and East

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) issued a "critical warning" on Thursday, March 5, 2026, ordering the immediate evacuation of residents in Beirut’s Southern Suburbs (Dahiyeh). In a direct attempt to clear the area before imminent airstrikes, the IDF instructed civilians in Burj al-Barajneh and Hadath to flee east toward Mount Lebanon via the Beirut-Damascus highway. Residents of Haret Hreik and Shiyah were told to move north toward Tripoli or east via the Matn Expressway. The military emphasized that any movement toward the south would be life-threatening and strictly prohibited.

This mass displacement order marks a significant escalation in the conflict with Hezbollah, as Israel intensifies its campaign to dismantle the group's urban strongholds. These directives follow Wednesday’s complete evacuation order for Southern Lebanon, where residents were told to move north of the Litani River. With ground forces reportedly pushing into border towns and the air force targeting the capital, Israel appears to be executing a strategy to create a vast "buffer zone" while simultaneously purging Hezbollah’s command centers in Beirut.