Approximately 29,000 people have been displaced in Lebanon amid the military escalation between Hezbollah and Israel in the border region, coinciding with the ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip, according to the International Organization for Migration, a United Nations agency.
The organization’s report reveals that the escalation along the Israel-Lebanon border has resulted in the displacement of 28,965 individuals in the southern region, including the border area, the capital Beirut, and the nearby area of Baabda.
Reports from the organization indicate a gradual increase in displacement as the escalation continues. The organization reported a 37% increase in the number of displaced persons compared to its report from three days ago when it documented 21,000 displaced individuals.
Many displaced individuals have sought refuge in southern Lebanese towns and villages, while others have fled to Beirut and its surroundings or other areas in the north and central parts of the country.
The border region has witnessed ongoing exchanges of shelling, particularly between Hezbollah and Israel since Hamas launched an unprecedented attack on Israel on the 7th of this month. In response, Israel has been shelling targets in the besieged Gaza Strip.
The escalation has resulted in the deaths of 58 people, most of them fighters from Hezbollah, in addition to fighters from Palestinian factions and four civilians, including Reuters news agency photographer Essam Abdullah. At least four people have been killed on the Israeli side.
On Friday, Hezbollah announced the targeting of several Israeli locations near the border using guided missiles.
The Israeli military, on the other hand, stated on its Twitter account that several shells fired from Lebanon had landed in Syrian territory.
The International Organization for Migration had previously warned that displacement could further burden host communities already grappling with Lebanon’s ongoing economic collapse since 2019, leaving the majority of the population below the poverty line and the state unable to provide basic services, including healthcare and medical supplies.
A spokesperson for the organization, Mohammad Ali Abu Najja, warned that displacement could “disrupt an already fragile healthcare system,” especially since it is facing severe shortages in resources, including medicines.
The escalation along the border seems to be adhering to the rules of engagement in place between Hezbollah and Israel for the past 16 years. However, experts caution about the possibility of its expansion through a larger intervention by Hezbollah if Israel launches a ground attack on Gaza.
In the Gaza Strip, more than 7,326 people, mostly civilians, including 3,038 children, have been killed due to Israeli airstrikes, according to the Gaza Health Ministry affiliated with Hamas.
On the Israeli side, more than 1,400 people, mostly civilians, died on the first day of the Hamas attack, according to Israeli authorities.
