Video: watson/emanuella Kälin
March 6, 2026, 12:54 p.mMarch 6, 2026, 12:54 p.m
Endless queues of cars in Beirut: A mass evacuation was ordered on Thursday. The Israeli army called on the population of almost all suburbs in Beirut to flee.
Tens of thousands followed the request, which could also be because Israeli politicians paint martial images. For example, a far-right Israeli minister suggested that Beirut’s suburbs will soon resemble parts of the Gaza Strip. Now the two most important escape routes are completely overloaded and cars can only move at walking pace.
The situation is chaotic, many people react with fear and panic. Among them is 66-year-old Aliyeh Hijazi from southern Lebanon. She has experienced wars since she was a child. After the recent escalation between Hezbollah and Israel, the mother of ten children was driven from her home.
After a 17-hour escape via Sidon and Saadiyat, she briefly found refuge in the southern suburbs of Beirut – until new Israeli evacuation orders forced her to flee again. She says:
«We also want to live. We are like everyone else. We want peace.”
Video: watson/emanuella Kälin
Lebanon reports over 58,000 displaced people; according to the NGO Care, the number could rise by hundreds of thousands.
(Reuters/EMK)
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