Israel on Thursday issued urgent evacuation warnings to residents across large parts of the southern suburbs of the Lebanese capital, Beirut, saying the areas could become targets of attack. The

BEIRUT/JERUSALEM, March 6 (Reuters) - Israel carried out heavy airstrikes on the Hezbollah-controlled southern suburbs of Beirut overnight after ordering its residents to leave, while the Iran-backed group warned Israelis to leave towns and villages at the frontier.

Lebanon’s capital erupted in chaos after the Israeli military ordered people to flee the southern suburbs. A far-right minister in Israel warned of a devastating bombardment.

Huge traffic jams form after the unprecedented warning for people to leave the Hezbollah stronghold, as Israel steps up its strikes across Lebanon.

By Maya Gebeily, Maayan Lubell, Khalil Ashawi and Jana Choukeir BEIRUT/JERUSALEM, March 5 (Reuters) - Israel warned residents to leave Beirut's southern suburbs, including Hezbollah-controlled areas,

BEIRUT (AP) — Traffic was gridlocked in Lebanon ‘s capital on Thursday as panicked residents tried to flee after Israel’s military ordered people from all of Beirut’s southern suburbs to evacuate, apparently signaling plans for a major bombardment of the area.

BEIRUT/JERUSALEM, March 6 (Reuters) - Israel pounded Beirut's southern suburbs with airstrikes on Friday, ⁠stepping ⁠up a war with Hezbollah that has forced hundreds of thousands ⁠of Lebanese from their homes and killed more than 200, according to a health ministry toll.

Communities across huge swathes of Lebanon have been told by Israel to leave their homes due to military action against Hezbollah.