Israel is implementing military tactics in Lebanon that mirror its operations in Gaza, a strategy described as the 'Gaza playbook' by the humanitarian group Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP). The organization warned on Friday that Israel's bombings and forced displacement orders for all of southern Lebanon and the southern suburbs of Beirut are instilling widespread fear among civilians. MAP CEO Steve Cutts stated that these actions include collective punishment, forced displacement, and the deliberate terrorizing of civilian populations, including already traumatized Palestinian communities.
The Israeli military issued a forced displacement order on Wednesday for all of southern Lebanon, prompting tens of thousands of residents to flee their homes under threat of attack. A day later, a similar order was issued for the southern suburbs of Beirut, as Israel expanded its intensified air and ground offensive in the country. According to the latest figures from the Lebanese Ministry of Health, at least 217 people have been killed and 798 wounded in Israeli attacks since Monday, highlighting the severe humanitarian toll.
Human rights groups have raised alarms over the Israeli forced displacement orders, stressing that many families have nowhere to go as Lebanon's shelters are full. Al Jazeera correspondent Bernard Smith reported from Beirut that people are sleeping on streets and in converted schools, with authorities unable to provide clarity on how long they will be displaced. This situation parallels Israel's actions in the Gaza Strip, where hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have been forced to move multiple times during over two years of bombardment, with Human Rights Watch previously condemning such orders as cruel and unlawful.
Israeli leaders have drawn comparisons between the escalating offensive in Lebanon and the war on Gaza. Far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich stated that Israel plans to make the Dahiyeh area of Beirut 'like Khan Younis,' a city in southern Gaza that has been decimated in Israel's war. These remarks suggest an intent to replicate the destructive tactics used in Gaza, raising concerns about further civilian suffering and regional instability under the current Israeli administration's policies.
Source: www.aljazeera.com