Beirut, Lebanon – The Israeli military ordered the forced displacement of the population of Lebanon’s southern city of Nabatieh on Tuesday, amid an escalation of its campaign – ostensibly against Hezbollah targets – in Lebanon.Israel hit towns on the outskirts of Nabatieh on Wednesday with “near continuous artillery shelling”, Al Jazeera’s Zeina Khodor reported, coming as Muslims in the country celebrated the religious holiday of Eid al-Adha.Local media reported that Israel hit Nabatieh multiple times on Tuesday, including direct air strikes on a cemetery in the city limits. Israel also struck surrounding villages, with the village Yohmor al-Shaqif hit multiple times.For its part, Hezbollah announced artillery and drone strikes on the advancing Israeli forces around the town of Zawtar al-Sharqiya, in the Nabatieh district.Israel has killed at least 3,213 people in Lebanon, including paramedics and civilians, since it intensified its war on Lebanon on March 2, expanding its invasion and occupation of southern towns and villages.Despite US President Donald Trump announcing another ceasefire on April 16, Israel and Hezbollah have continued to trade attacks, while Israel has established an approximately 10km (six-mile) buffer zone whose northern periphery is marked by what Israel calls a “yellow line.”So why is Israel focusing so heavily on Nabatieh, one of the biggest cities in southern Lebanon?Here is all you need to know.Where is Nabatieh?Nabatieh is a city an …
