Israeli Occupation Issues Forced Displacement Order for All of Dahieh

Earlier today, the Israeli occupation forces issued a forced displacement order to all the residents of Dahieh, threatening their lives if they do not leave the southern suburbs immediately.

This is the first time that such an order designates the entirety of Dahieh, along with adjacent municipalities, as a site for bombardment.

The order came with instructions on which roads to take, threatening against evacuating further south. Residents of Burj al-Barajneh and Hadath were forced to go east, while residents of Haret Hreik and Chiyah were forced to go north — a move widely understood as a means to stoke internal strife.

On March 5, 2026, Israeli occupation forces issued a forced displacement order to all residents of Beirut's southern suburbs, threatening the lives of around 700,000 people. (Map by Ahmad Baydoun/The Public Source)

Dahieh is home to around 700,000 people, some of whom might be unable to leave due to old age or disability, while others may refuse to abandon their homes. Those who try to leave, however, find themselves caught on jam-packed roads, in their cars or on foot, with no guarantee of shelter.

Starting on March 2, Israeli occupation forces similarly issued several forced displacement orders to everyone living south of the Litani River — to over 100 towns and villages — forcing hundreds of thousands to flee their homes, give up their lands, and move north of the river, or risk death.

A map showing the area in southern Lebanon that Israeli occupation forces have repeatedly tried to forcibly empty. (Map by Ahmad Baydoun/The Public Source)

Israel is enforcing the Gaza Doctrine: Forced mass displacement of civilian populations, ethnic cleansing, and genocide. 

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich threatened in a video shared across social media: “Beirut’s southern suburbs will soon look like [Gaza's] Khan Younis.”