A phone vibrates at 3am and his face appears on X. He is delivering a message: leave or die.
The messenger is Avichay Adraee, the Israeli military's Arabic language spokesperson. In what is frighteningly good Arabic for a non-native speaker, he yells into his phone's camera, telling Lebanese people to evacuate certain areas "for their safety" before strikes on what Israel says is Hezbollah infrastructure.
Last Wednesday, a little after 8am, Adraee issued a new evacuation order. The residents of a large section of Tyre, the second most populated city in south Lebanon, were ordered to leave, joining people from more than 70 villages that have been put under Israeli evacuation orders - which Israel says are aimed at minimising casualties since 23 September. In total, more than 1.2 million people have been displaced by Israel's offensive.
Amnesty International has criticised Israel's evacuation orders, saying they are inadequate and that they raise questions as to whether they are meant to provoke mass displacement. In some cases, Israel has issued evacuation orders in the middle of the night over social media and given residents less than 30 minutes to evacuate before strikes began.
Three hours after Adraee posted on X, the airstrikes started. At least a dozen buildings were damaged or destroyed around Abou Deeb roundabout, a major residential area.
This story is from the November 01, 2024 edition of The Guardian Weekly.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the November 01, 2024 edition of The Guardian Weekly.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Power play The Solar Mamas who are lighting up Zanzibar
In a dimly lit corridor of a mudwalled house nestled among coconut trees, Sharifa Hussein stripped red and black cables, a screwdriver voltage tester balanced between her lips and rolls of cable lying by her feet.
Play it again and again
Spotify's Billions Club tracks the world's most popular songs, but many greats are nowhere to be found. What are the forces shaping pop's new canon?
David Lynch 1946 -2025
The maverick American surrealist film director sustained a successful mainstream career while also probing the bizarre, the radical and the experimental
Election fever grows ....but Trump is pulling the strings
The machinations of Elon Musk andthe returning US president loom large in minds of politicians and voters
International response America's allies hope for the best-but prepare for the worst
Western allies of the US are braced for the return of Donald Trump, still hoping for the best, but largely unprepared for what may prove to be a chaotic and disorientating worst.
Mood music
Listening to, or playing, the right song can soothe pain, lift depression and help treat conditions as diverse as Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, PTSD and back pain. Neuroscientist and bestselling author Daniel Levitin gives his musical recommendations for better health, drawing on his experience of helping his friend, the legendary songwriter Joni Mitchell.
Gaza's devastation The terrible price exacted by Israel for 7 October attack
Israel began bombing Gaza on 7 October 2023 after Hamas crossed the border, killed about 1,200 people and took 251 others hostage to Gaza.
North Koreans' capture sheds new light on war
The news was sensational.
Fragile truce An agreement is in place-if it will hold matter is another
The hours-long delay in implementing the Gaza ceasefire agreement last Sunday was not a good omen for a deal that many fear could be doomed to failure as it moves through its challenging three phases.
Why did LA's wildfires explode out of control?
Acombustible combination of factors laid the groundwork for disaster as the city struggled with catastrophic blazes
