Families gather in Martyrs' square after fleeing the Israeli airstrikes in Beirut's southern suburbs, Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. AP
Fresh strikes struck Beirut's southern suburbs early Saturday after huge raids on civilian-packed areas hours before the Israeli army striked Hezbollah's "central headquarters" in the area.
Bottlenecks formed in the middle of the night on normally deserted streets of the capital, many of them in darkness due to power cuts.
In downtown Beirut's Martyrs' Square, or along the seaside corniche boardwalk area, desolate men, women and young children were walking around or sitting on the ground.
"We were at home when there was the call to evacuate. We took our identity papers, some belongings and we left," said Syrian refugee Radwan Msallam, who lives in Beirut's southern suburbs.
The father of six children aged between three and 17 said they had "nowhere to go", adding that they could not return to his war-torn home country.
Israel's army late Friday ordered residents of several areas of Beirut's southern suburbs to leave, after conducting a wave of strikes on the densely populated district that Lebanon's health ministry said killed at least six and wounded 91.
The army then said that "in a short while" it would strike three buildings in south Beirut.
Rescuers worked through the night searching for survivors in Friday's strikes, the biggest to hit Beirut's southern suburbs since Israel launched a monthlong war on Lebanon in 2006.
Hezbollah's Al-Manar television said seven buildings were destroyed in the strikes.
Leading Israeli television networks reported that Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah was the target of Friday's strikes.
*This story was edited by Ahram Online.
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