TYRE, LEBANON — The Israeli military issued evacuation orders for Tyre as it announced plans to occupy southern Lebanon using the "Gaza model." Roughly 16,000 displaced people have taken refuge in the coastal city, according to government officials.

Israel said its troops will invade a swath of south Lebanon to create a "defensive buffer zone," with no residents allowed to return to the occupied area until northern Israel was secure. The Israeli defense minister said the military would apply the "Gaza model" to parts of south Lebanon, meaning villages and towns would be razed and residents uprooted.

Government officials said about 20,000 people remain in Tyre, including about 16,000 displaced people and about 4,000 original residents. The city lies 12 miles north of the border with Israel.

Israeli bombardment has disrupted ground connections between Tyre and the rest of Lebanon. The Israeli military bombed bridges around the city as part of the military operation.

Israel says it will occupy an area extending about 20 miles from the border and covering about 10 percent of Lebanon's territory.

Displaced families in Tyre are staying in schools and churches. Hassan Kareet, who moved his wife and four children to Tyre, described the difficult conditions facing evacuees. "We're scattered: some in one school, others in another shelter. I slept in the car," said Hassan Kareet.

Landlords in Tyre are demanding high rents and advance payments from displaced families. Tyre had available shelter space for displaced families, but the influx has strained resources.

A ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah was reached approximately 15 months before March 2026. On March 2, the Iran-backed Lebanese Shiite militant group Hezbollah launched rockets on Israel. Hezbollah said it launched the rockets to avenge the death of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and was also retaliating for near-daily Israeli attacks despite the ceasefire agreement.

Israel responded to the March 2 Hezbollah attacks with an assault across Lebanon. According to authorities, almost 1,100 people have been killed in the current conflict. Lebanese authorities say a quarter of Lebanon's population has been displaced by the current conflict.

"The crisis is no longer only about where people sleep tonight, but how they will live, eat, and access healthcare in the weeks ahead. Resources that were already barely sufficient for the poorest will now have to stretch even further," wrote Firass Abiad, former health minister.