Israel launched a series of strikes on the southern suburbs of Beirut Thursday after ordering all residents of the densely populated area to evacuate. Traffic was gridlocked in Lebanon 's capital on Thursday as panicked residents tried to flee after Israel's military issued an evacuation notice telling residents to “save your lives and evacuate your homes immediately,” and specified which routes they should take to escape. FRANCE 24's Catherine Norris-Trent reports from Beirut.

Israel launched a series of strikes on the southern suburbs of Beirut Thursday after ordering all residents of the densely populated area to evacuate.

Traffic was gridlocked in Lebanon's capital on Thursday as panicked residents tried to flee after Israel's military ordered people from all of Beirut's southern suburbs to evacuate, app

BEIRUT, Lebanon, March 5 (UPI) -- The Israeli Army on Thursday ordered a mass evacuation of Beirut's southern suburbs -- a main stronghold of Iran-backed Hezbollah -- in an unprecedented warning ahead of massive strikes, causing widespread panic among fleeing residents and heavy traffic jams in the capital.

Israel orders residents of Beirut’s southern suburbs to evacuate, and the move sets off panic and gridlock across the capital.