Tyre Exodus: Ancient Lebanese City Empties as Israel Includes Christian Quarter in Evacuation Orders

A wave of panic has gripped Tyre, a millennia-old city in southern Lebanon, as thousands of residents fled en masse following an unprecedented Israeli military order. For the first time since hostilities began, the Israeli army has included the historic Christian quarter of the old city in its immediate evacuation directives, shattering the fragile refuge for thousands of displaced people and sparking fears of imminent destruction for this World Heritage jewel.

Until Tuesday, the Christian quarter of Tyre, a picturesque and touristy sector of the coastal city, had remained relatively spared from Israeli military warnings. This relative security had made it a precarious haven where residents from Tyre and surrounding villages crowded, sometimes sleeping in their cars or makeshift tents. But on Tuesday, this sanctuary emptied almost entirely within hours, leaving behind deserted streets and a massive queue of cars fleeing northward.

The evacuation order arrived Tuesday morning via a social media message from Avichay Adraee, the Israeli army's Arabic-speaking spokesperson: "Urgent warning to the residents of the city of Tyre, including the Christian quarter, as well as the Palestinian camps and surrounding neighborhoods. For your safety, we ask you to immediately evacuate your homes and move north of the Zahrani River," located about 40 kilometers to the north.

This directive follows repeated accusations by Israel that Hezbollah fighters are hiding within the Christian quarter to evade strikes. Local representatives deny this, denouncing it as a pretext to empty the city of its population. The concern is immense for the survival of this Phoenician city, founded in the 3rd millennium BC. Tyre houses archaeological vestiges of inestimable value, including Roman and Byzantine ruins classified as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Israeli bombardments on Sunday had already damaged the ancient ruins area, prompting an outcry from the Lebanese Minister of Culture, who called on the international community and UNESCO to intervene urgently to protect this historic site.