Exodus from Beirut: Residents Flee as Israel-Hezbollah Tensions Escalate

Israel has warned residents to leave Beirut's Hezbollah-controlled southern suburbs, igniting panic and causing mass evacuations. This warning follows intensified hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, part of a broader conflict drawing Lebanon into Middle Eastern tensions. Israeli bombardment has displaced thousands, with Lebanon's health ministry reporting 77 fatalities so far.

Israel has issued a dire warning to the residents of Beirut's Hezbollah-controlled southern suburbs, urging them to leave amid escalating hostilities between the two sides. This announcement set off a wave of panic, with throngs of people evacuating massive sections of the Lebanese capital.

An Israeli military spokesperson used social media to instruct residents to move east and north, detailing areas to evacuate with an accompanying map. Traffic bottlenecks followed as thousands, on edge from gunfire and warnings, fled both by foot and vehicle.

The conflict intensified after Hezbollah opened fire on Monday, prompting Israeli airstrikes across southern and eastern regions of Lebanon. Despite an overwhelming exodus, the Lebanese health ministry reports 77 Lebanese casualties, though no fatalities in Israel due to Hezbollah's actions.

(With inputs from agencies.)