Why is Israel attacking Nabatieh in Lebanon, a major city in the south? | | Israel attacks Lebanon News

Beirut, Lebanon – The Israeli army ordered the evacuation of residents of the southern Lebanese city of Nabatieh on Tuesday, amid an escalation of its campaign – against Hezbollah’s targets – in Lebanon.

Israel hit towns outside Nabatieh on Wednesday with “almost a barrage of weapons”, Al Jazeera’s Zeina Khodor said, coming as Muslims in the country celebrate the Eid al-Adha religious holiday.

Local media reported that Israel struck Nabatieh several times on Tuesday, including a direct hit on a cemetery within the city’s borders. Israel also hit the surrounding villages, with the village of Yohmor al-Shaqif hit several times.

For its part, Hezbollah announced the firing of weapons and ammunition on the Israeli army that was moving around the town of Zawtar al-Sharqiya, in the Nabatieh district.

Israel has killed at least 3,213 people in Lebanon, including medics and civilians, since it escalated its war in Lebanon on March 2, expanding its attacks and occupation of southern towns and villages.

Although US President Donald Trump announced another end on April 16, Israel and Hezbollah will continue to trade, with Israel establishing a zone of about 10km (six kilometers) whose northern areas are known as what Israel calls “yellow line.”

So why is Israel focusing on Nabatieh, one of the largest cities in southern Lebanon?

Here’s everything you need to know.

Where is Nabatieh?

Nabatieh is a city and town in southern Lebanon located above the Litani River, and about 11km (seven kilometers) from the southern border.

Litani has been the center of previous ceasefire agreements and international agreements, which often state that Hezbollah’s presence should return to northern Litani.

Around the city of Nabatieh there are several villages that are regularly attacked or destroyed by Israeli terrorists.

Why did Israel focus on the Nabataeans?

The latest developments in Nabatieh are attempts to “turn it into one of the villages or cities under the yellow line”, Jad Dilati, a political analyst from Nabatieh, told Al Jazeera.

Nabatieh is a well-known symbol of resistance in Lebanon. Many locals point to the Ashura Attack in 1983, when Israeli soldiers rushed into a group holding a religious ceremony in the city. The army tried to force its way through the crowd but was met by thousands of angry civilians.

The event took place during the early years of Israel’s occupation of southern Lebanon (1982-2000), which ended with Israeli expulsion and withdrawal.

“It is being said that (the event) was the threat that led to a major change in the belief in disarmament for the next 18 years,” Dilati said.

Is that the only reason?

Nabatieh’s population is predominantly Shia Muslim, and the city is an important economic center in southern Lebanon. Israel’s war in Lebanon was not only about killing Hezbollah soldiers but also about forcing the Shia community, from which Hezbollah receives its support.

“I see the targeting of Nabatieh as part of the overall strategy to destroy the Shia community in Lebanon and one of the ways to do this is to destroy the various economic engines and population of the region and one of the economic engines in the south is Nabatieh,” Mohamad Bazzi, a DAWN colleague, told Al Jazeera.

Dilati said Israel wanted Nabatieh because of its role as the “dominant, economic, and symbolic heart of the south”. He said the idea is to harm the Shia community as a way to force Hezbollah to end the war.

“They (hope) they can force Hezbollah to end the war by making the return (of people) impossible and making daily life impossible.”

What is Israel saying?

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu he announced its military objective to “crush” Hezbollah. On Tuesday, Netanyahu said that the Israeli army has increased its operations beyond the so-called “Yellow Line”.

“We are at war with Hezbollah, and we will escalate our conflict,” he said in a video released Monday on the messaging app.

His announcement led to an exodus from the southern suburbs of Beirut. Many had returned home since the end of the war because of the cessation of hostilities in Beirut.

Although Israel says it is attacking Hezbollah targets, many civilians have also been killed. On Wednesday, the Lebanese security forces announced that they had rescued 15 civilians in Nabatieh trapped in destroyed buildings.

Israel again and again the target clinicianssometimes in beat two or three timesand killed at least 15 journalists, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).

How is Lebanon responding?

The government is planning direct talks with Israel on June 2 and 3.

Addressing the nation during the Eid al-Adha holiday, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said Lebanon needs “love, unity, and solidarity…

How has Hezbollah responded?

The group said its fighters clashed with Israeli forces in Zawtar al-Sharqiya, in the Nabatieh district, “in an empty field.”

On Sunday, Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem gave a TV address criticizes the upcoming direct talks between the government of Lebanon and Israel.

Is this the first attack on Nabatieh?

“Nabatieh has been targeted repeatedly since the attacks of 1978, 1982, 1993 and 1996, and 2006, 2024, and now,” Dilati said.

Nabatieh was attacked every day for the growth of Israel in 2024, destroying the history of the town. Even during the ceasefire, Israel conquered Nabatieh as a city, as well as a large province.

In the latest escalation, which began on March 2, Israel has repeatedly attacked Nabatieh and surrounding areas.

“Even earlier today, almost every district or district of Nabatieh received permission to leave,” Dilati said. The surrounding areas were already satisfied with previous evacuation orders and bombings that destroyed large parts of the city, he added.

How are the people of Nabatieh affected?

More than 1.2 million people in Lebanon have been displaced, including many from Nabatieh and surrounding towns and villages.

Speaking shortly after the announcement of the ceasefire on April 16, a man from a village near Nabatieh who was evacuated from Beirut’s waterways, told Al Jazeera that he would not return home until Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri declared it safe.

In 2024, many people in and around Nabatieh fled their homes. Residents said many stayed at home during the recent boom, either after what they said was an offensive in 2024, in another move, or because they couldn’t afford other housing.

“What the order to evacuate the whole city did was to force everyone who was left, everyone who did not want to leave, to leave because they saw the danger of the typhoon in the last few days, and the order to evacuate caused real fear to the people living in the city who have now all fled,” Dilati said. “And the city is now empty, and the next goal is to destroy the city.”