Inside Lebanon: Displacement, Strikes, and Israeli Troops Under Scrutiny
Sky News has conducted an in-depth investigation using satellite imagery, verified footage, eyewitness accounts, and data analysis to track Israel's military campaign in Lebanon. This comprehensive report examines tactics that some human rights experts argue could potentially violate international law, highlighting a deepening humanitarian crisis.
Mass Displacement and Escalating Violence
More than one million people in Lebanon have been forcibly displaced, with over 900 fatalities reported as Israel intensifies its offensive against the militant group Hezbollah. Israeli officials have stated that displaced individuals from southern Lebanon will not be permitted to return to their homes until the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) successfully dismantle Hezbollah's infrastructure in the region.
The latest round of hostilities erupted on March 2, 2026, when Hezbollah launched missiles into northern Israel in solidarity with its ally, Iran, which had been targeted by a joint US-Israeli attack four days earlier. Israel responded with overwhelming force, executing hundreds of strikes across Lebanon, primarily concentrated in the southern regions. However, numerous strikes have also hit the Lebanese capital, Beirut, including the densely populated southern suburb of Dahiya, a known Hezbollah stronghold that houses many civilian residents.
Evacuation Orders and Infrastructure Destruction
These military strikes have coincided with sweeping evacuation orders covering nearly half of Beirut. In southern Lebanon, the IDF has issued its largest evacuation order in recent history, mandating that all residents living south of the Zahrani river leave immediately. Sky News estimates that the areas affected by these evacuation orders were previously home to approximately two million people, representing about one-third of Lebanon's total population.
Critical infrastructure has been severely compromised, with at least two bridges across the Litani river destroyed in recent weeks. This destruction has hindered civilian efforts to comply with evacuation orders. On March 18, 2026, the IDF announced plans to target remaining bridges, alleging Hezbollah uses them for transporting soldiers and combat equipment.
International human rights lawyer Geoffrey Nice KC has expressed grave concerns, stating, "The orders have come with terrifying force, and there is panic. The panic is your responsibility if you're the one that's ordering them to leave. It seems to me there's quite a lot of evidence to say this is unlawful." In response, an IDF official told Sky News, "We are following international law and doing everything we can to avoid harm to civilians."
Israeli Military Presence and Long-Term Plans
Israeli Defense Secretary Israel Katz declared on March 18, 2026, that those fleeing southern Lebanon will not be allowed to return to areas south of the Litani river "until the safety of the residents of the north [of Israel] is guaranteed." Under a 2006 United Nations resolution, only the Lebanese armed forces and UN peacekeepers are permitted to operate south of the Litani river. Israel asserts that by removing Hezbollah from this region, it is enforcing this UN resolution.
Last year, Mr. Katz indicated that Israel would maintain a "security zone" inside Lebanon for the foreseeable future. Since 2024, the IDF has established at least five military bases on Lebanese territory. Satellite imagery analyzed by the London-based Centre for Information Resilience suggests three additional bases may have been constructed in recent months.
Candice Ardiel, spokesperson for the UN's peacekeeping mission in Lebanon (UNIFIL), told Sky News that the existence of these bases constitutes a "clear violation" of the 2006 resolution. An IDF official countered, stating, "Israel kept to that agreement until Hezbollah started attacking our civilians." Mr. Katz has further stated that the IDF's objective in the current conflict is to "take control of additional strategic positions in Lebanon."
Humanitarian Crisis and Repeated Displacement
When Sky News visited Beirut on March 12, 2026, teams found people sleeping in tents and cars near the port. Carolina Lindholm Billing, Lebanon representative for the UN's refugee agency (UNHCR), reported, "People are leaving very fast when evacuation orders are announced. They just get in their car without even collecting some extra clothes or belongings, out of fear of being there when aerial strikes begin. And one reason, many say, is that they experienced the same in 2024."
Prior to the latest escalation, more than 64,000 people remained displaced from the major hostilities in 2024, according to the International Migration Observatory. Despite a ceasefire signed in November 2024, many have been unable to return home due to persistent Israeli strikes. Others have no homes to return to, with border towns like Aita Al Chaab almost entirely destroyed. Satellite imagery from November revealed that 91% of buildings in Aita Al Chaab's town centre had been demolished.
An Israeli military official acknowledged to Sky News that the IDF was responsible for widespread destruction in the area but insisted it only targeted buildings used by Hezbollah. Human Rights Watch has described strikes on reconstruction equipment as "systematic," hindering recovery efforts. Cafe owner Nehmeh Mahmoud Al Zein lamented, "If you have a problem with Hezbollah, go sort it with Hezbollah. It's not our problem - we're civilians here and we've got nothing to hide."
Use of White Phosphorus Raises Alarms
Since October 2023, Sky News has interviewed dozens of southern Lebanon residents who report seeing white phosphorus sprayed on their crops, farmland, and houses. A video from March 15, 2026, verified by Sky News, shows an IDF operation in southern Lebanon. Amael Kotlarsk, a weapons expert at defence intelligence company Janes, confirmed the substance as white phosphorus.
This chemical is used by militaries for smokescreens or illumination but can also ignite fires, damage crops, and cause severe burns. Its indiscriminate use in populated areas is illegal under international law. Human Rights Watch has documented widespread use of white phosphorus by the IDF in Lebanese border towns in late 2023 and early 2024.
When questioned by Sky News, the IDF did not deny using white phosphorus during recent operations in Lebanon but asserted it always does so in a manner that "complies with and exceeds the requirements of international law." Ramzi Kaiss, Lebanon researcher at Human Rights Watch, told Sky News, "I think the use of white phosphorus now is another tactic that is pushing people out of those towns or making it much harder for them to return."
The scale of depopulation along the border is visible from space, with night-time satellite imagery showing marked decreases in light levels in Lebanese towns adjacent to Israel. This visual evidence underscores the profound impact of the conflict on civilian life and regional stability.
