BAALBEK: Residents of Baalbek fled their homes on Wednesday after the Israeli army issued an evacuation order for Lebanon’s main eastern city and its outskirts, marking the first such directive in over a month of conflict.
The Israeli army urged residents of Baalbek and nearby villages to leave immediately, warning of impending attacks on Hezbollah targets. As civilians rushed to escape, main roads out of the city became congested with vehicles, reported AFP.
Civil defence vehicles patrolled the area, using loudspeakers to urge everyone to evacuate without delay. The correspondent noted that “the city is almost empty” about an hour after the evacuation warning was issued.
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Israeli military spokesman Avichay Adraee stated in a post on X that the army would “act forcefully against Hezbollah interests within your city and villages,” sharing a map of Baalbek and its surrounding areas, which are largely controlled by Hezbollah.
On Monday, Lebanon’s health ministry reported that at least 60 people had been killed in Israeli raids on the Bekaa region, with the majority of casualties occurring in Baalbek.
Following nearly a year of cross-border exchanges of fire with Hezbollah, Israel intensified its strikes on the group’s strongholds last month and deployed ground forces across the border.
Since September 23, the ongoing conflict has resulted in at least 1,754 fatalities in Lebanon, according to an AFP tally based on health ministry data, although the actual number is likely higher due to incomplete reporting.
