Lebanon — For the tenth consecutive day of Israeli military escalation against Lebanese territory, Israeli authorities have ordered the immediate evacuation of areas in the south ahead of strikes targeting positions belonging to Hezbollah.

An Israeli airstrike early Friday morning, March 13, targeted the Aqariya area of Mieh w Mieh, known as “Al-Fawar,” in the Mashari’ Al-Hibba district. The strike hit a residential building densely populated with civilians within the Ahel Project, resulting in several deaths and injuries.

According to monitoring by our agency, more than 30 ambulances rushed to the scene and transported the wounded to nearby hospitals, while search and rescue operations are still ongoing to retrieve victims from under the rubble.

Preliminary information indicates that the strike was intended as an assassination operation; however, the attack occurred in a crowded residential area, leading to a large number of civilian casualties.

The initial death toll reached 12 civilians, with 12 others injured, while the area is witnessing a large-scale mobilization of rescue and relief teams.

On Thursday, Israel had already escalated the pace of its attacks on Lebanese territory and threatened to expand its ground operations. This came alongside forced evacuation orders covering approximately 10% of the country’s territory, raising concerns about a worsening humanitarian crisis and a new wave of civilian displacement.

Media reports indicate that the total number of people killed by Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon has risen to more than 687 since the start of the war between Israel and Hezbollah ten days ago, including 98 children and 52 women.

Israeli authorities have ordered residents in southern Lebanon to evacuate immediately before carrying out strikes targeting Hezbollah positions. The warnings have expanded to include areas north of the Litani River, with residents instructed to move immediately toward areas north of the Zahrani River.