Lebanese civilians flee amid deadly Israeli strikes on Beirut suburbs
Al Jazeera
March 2, 2026
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Thousands of Lebanese civilians are fleeing southern Lebanon and Beirut’s suburbs amid Israel’s deadliest military assault on the country in over a year. The strikes, which killed at least 31 people and wounded 149, have caused widespread panic and forced displacement. Highways leading to safer areas like Sidon and Beirut are gridlocked as families scramble to escape the violence. Public schools and makeshift shelters across the capital are filling up with displaced individuals seeking safety. This escalation follows Hezbollah’s missile attacks on Israel for the first time in over a year, which Israel claims were retaliation for the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
The conflict has escalated rapidly since Saturday when the U.S. and Israel launched airstrikes on Iran, prompting Iranian retaliatory strikes across the region, including Lebanon. Hezbollah justified its attacks as a defense against Israeli aggression and in response to Khamenei’s killing. Meanwhile, Israel has warned residents in southern and eastern
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Originally published on Al Jazeera on 3/2/2026