A growing number of civilians are flooding out of towns and villages in southern Lebanon over the past 48 hours. Some 30,000 civilians were displaced already Monday, and the number is expected to grow markedly as Israeli troops launched a new ground invasion of the country.
Israel had ordered evacuations in several locations in Lebanon Monday before airstrikes, and Tuesday the evacuations expanded to another 80 towns and villages in the south, which appear to be the first targets of the new ground incursion. Evacuations of parts of the city of Tyre were also reported.
While more are being displaced by the war, some are using the conflict as a reason to attempt to return home, with thousands of Syrians who had fled to Lebanon during Syria’s assorted wars crossing back into Syria since it’s not being actively invaded by Israel.
Black smoke billows following an Israeli airstrike on Beirut’s southern suburb on March 2, 2026 (ZUMA Press Wire via Reuters Connect)
Throughout Monday and overnight, the attacks targeted the whole country, with multiple attacks reported against the capital city of Beirut. The Lebanese Health Ministry reported 52 killed on Monday, though they suggested it was only 40 in an update on Tuesday, with hundreds of others wounded.
UNIFIL personnel confirmed that they’d seen small arms fire since the ground invasion began, but they do not appear to have been involved in the conflict directly, and so far Israel does not seem to be operating in the Bint Jbeil area, where UNIFIL Irish peacekeepers are positioned.
Israel presented the invasion as targeting Hezbollah, as indeed they’ve presented their many attacks since the ceasefire of 2024 ended the last war. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the troops were doing an “incredible job” in attacking Lebanon.
Hezbollah, for their part, said they were ready for “open war.” Since the November 2024 ceasefire, Hezbollah had not fired a single rocket at Israel until this weekend, and while they withdrew from the area south of the Litani River, Hezbollah is believed to retain substantial capabilities elsewhere in the country.
The Lebanese government, however, has formally banned Hezbollah from resisting Israel militarily, though the intention appears to be to ignore the ban since the ground invasion began. Israel appears unwilling to accept a ban on just military resistance at any rate, reportedly demanding that Lebanon also ban Hezbollah from existing as a political party with the threat Israel will attack the Beirut airport if they refuse.
Hezbollah has reportedly targeted the kibbutz of Ma’ayan Baruch in northern Israel, as well as military positions in the occupied Golan Heights.