Residents flee Beirut's southern suburbs after Israel orders strikes

(1 Jun 2026) Clients note: This item contains on-screen graphics, including AP branding. RESTRICTION SUMMARY: ASSOCIATED PRESS Beirut, Lebanon - 01 June 2026 1. Various of traffic jams as people leave Beirut's southern suburbs, fleeing potential Israeli strikes STORYLINE: There were traffic jams in Southern Beirut, Monday, as residents attempted to flee after Israel ordered strikes on Dahiyeh where Hezbollah enjoys widespread support. The Israeli military was given orders to attack the southern suburbs, a day after the army reached its deepest point in Lebanon in 26 years and as Hezbollah fired rockets at northern Israel including the outskirts of coastal city of Haifa. A joint statement by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz said that following the repeated violations of the ceasefire in Lebanon by Hezbollah and the “attacks against our cities and citizens,” they have ordered the Israeli army to attack targets in Beirut’s southern suburbs known in Arabic as Dahiyeh. Israeli airstrikes overnight on southern Lebanon left six people dead, including a Syrian citizen in a village near the city of Nabatiyeh, state-run National News Agency said. The Israeli military meanwhile said the Air Force intercepted two projectiles launched from Lebanon toward Israeli territory and also intercepted a suspicious aerial target that was identified in the area where Israeli soldiers are operating in southern Lebanon. No injuries were reported, the military said. Hezbollah said it carried out rockets and missiles attacks on Sunday on northern Israel including the largest city in the area as well as the outskirts of Haifa. The latest developments came despite a nominal ceasefire that has been in place since April 17 and just before Lebanon and Israeli hold their next round of direct talks in Washington starting Tuesday. Talks between senior officials from Israel and Lebanon began in April in Washington, the first in more than three decades between the countries that have no formal diplomatic relations. The southern suburbs of Beirut have been spared much of the airstrikes since the ceasefire went into effect apart from two targeted attacks in May. The United States accused Iran of blocking efforts to forge peace between Israel and Lebanon by instructing Hezbollah to continue to attack Israeli positions. A U.S. official said late Sunday that Secretary of State Marco Rubio had spoken to Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to propose a fresh path to continue ongoing negotiations. Under the proposal, Hezbollah would halt all attacks on Israel and Israel would refrain from escalating military operations in the Lebanese capital of Beirut, according to the official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private diplomatic conversations. AP video shot by Fadi Tawil and Mohamad Anouti =========================================================== Clients are reminded to adhere to all listed restrictions and to check the terms of their licence agreements. For further assistance, please contact the AP Archive on: Tel +44(0)2074827482 Email: [email protected]. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...