Israel Intensifies Attacks on Nabatieh, Lebanon, Worsening Humanitarian Crisis

Lebanon. The humanitarian crisis in Nabatieh, a major city in southern Lebanon, has become severe as Israel has intensified its continuous air and artillery attacks on it. The Israeli army had ordered the residents of Nabatieh to immediately vacate the area on Tuesday. Since then, there has been continuous shelling in the surrounding villages and cities.

Although Israel claims its attacks are targeted at Hezbollah's military structures, according to local analysts, the attack on Nabatieh is not limited to military strategy. It is also seen as pressure on the political, economic, and symbolic center of southern Lebanon.

Nabatieh is a large city in southern Lebanon located on the Litani River. It is about 11 kilometers north of the Israeli border. In past ceasefires and international agreements, the Litani River was considered an important border, according to which Hezbollah was to be confined to the north of the river.

According to analyst Jad Dilati, Israel is currently trying to bring Nabatieh within its declared 'Yellow Line'. Israel has named the northern border of the 'buffer zone' it has created in the border area as the 'Yellow Line'.

Nabatieh is also seen as a 'symbol of resistance' in Lebanon. The clash between Israeli soldiers and local residents during a religious ceremony in 1983 is remembered by many as the initial phase of the armed resistance movement. At that time, southern Lebanon was under Israeli occupation. The Israeli army withdrew from there in 2000.

Nabatieh is considered strategically important due to the majority of its local population belonging to the Shia Muslim community. As this community is the main social base of Hezbollah, it is alleged that Israel is trying to weaken not only the militant group but also its socio-economic structure.

According to analyst Mohammed Bazzy, since Nabatieh is one of the major economic centers of southern Lebanon, its destruction is aimed at creating pressure on the entire Shia community. "The strategy appears to be to force Hezbollah to end the war by making daily life impossible," he said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that military operations have been expanded with the aim of 'completely destroying' Hezbollah. He claimed that the Israeli army has gone beyond the 'Yellow Line'.

Following this announcement, people have also started fleeing from the southern suburbs of Beirut. On April 16, after US President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire, many displaced people had started returning home. But the latest attack has caused a large displacement again.

According to Lebanon's civil defense agency, at least 15 civilians trapped inside damaged buildings in Nabatieh were rescued on Wednesday. Local media reported that even cemeteries were targeted in the Israeli attack.

Hezbollah has also stated that its fighters engaged in 'close combat' with Israeli forces in the Jawtar al-Sharquiyah area of Nabatieh district. The organization's leader, Naim Qassem, has indicated that the struggle will continue, opposing direct talks with Israel.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, addressing the nation on the occasion of Eid al-Adha, said that national unity is necessary amidst Israeli attacks. The Lebanese government is preparing for direct talks with Israel on June 2 and 3.

Nabatieh has been repeatedly targeted by Israeli attacks in 1978, 1982, 1993, 1996, 2006, and in recent years. In the war of 2024, its historic market was destroyed.

Currently, it is estimated that more than 1.2 million people have been displaced from southern Lebanon. Many residents of Nabatieh had decided not to leave their homes due to financial hardship and the pain of past displacement. But after the recent intense bombing and evacuation order, the city has become almost deserted, local sources said.