Evacuation warnings in southern Lebanon are increasing displacement and raising concerns over civilian protection under international law
Civil Defence members search for survivors in a collapsed building south of Beirut during a military attack. (Credit: Facebook / Civil Defence Beirut, January 15, 2025)
March 5, 2026
Israel’s call for civilians to evacuate the entire south of Lebanon due to military operations might violate international law, the US-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) warned in a statement.
The calls urged Lebanese residents to evacuate areas south of the Litani River, where Israel says the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah has launched missile attacks into its territory.
The Israeli Arabic military spokesperson also called on civilians on X (formerly Twitter) to evacuate “immediately” from the Dahieh area, the southern part of the Lebanese capital.
“Calling on everyone… to evacuate immediately raises serious legal and humanitarian red flags and fears for the safety of civilians,” Ramzi Kaiss, Lebanon researcher at HRW, said.
“How are older people, the sick, and people with disabilities going to be able to evacuate immediately? And how will their safety be guaranteed as they leave?”
International law prohibits the displacement of civilians during conflicts, except in limited “security exceptions” that allow their safe return once hostilities end, HRW said.
Hezbollah broke the ceasefire with Israel after US and Israeli air strikes on Iran last week killed leaders tied to the so-called “Axis of Resistance”, an Iran-backed regional alliance.
Last year’s US- and France-brokered truce allowed nearly a million displaced people to return home and required Lebanon to disarm Hezbollah and dismantle its military infrastructure.
“This military escalation is in no one’s interest [in Lebanon], and even some of those who belong to the Hezbollah milieu are not satisfied,” a Lebanon-based journalist, said.
“People fear that the whole area [south Lebanon] could be occupied,” he added, pointing to areas south of the Litani where the Israeli army has maintained positions since last year’s escalation.
The journalist, who spoke anonymously for security reasons, said the escalation has extended north of the river, affecting hospitality and the situation for displaced people.
The United Nations estimates that around 60,000 people are sheltering in 320 collective sites and expects the number of displaced people to rise amid the spiralling conflict.
The story is an MA Journalism assignment for the University of Portsmouth, UK.