The Lebanese Acting Foreign Minister, Dr. Abdallah Bou Habib, stated that 100,000 people have been displaced from the south due to recent events and Israeli aggressions. This information was shared during a meeting with Kate Forbes, the President of the International Red Cross, and her delegation, as noted in a post by the Lebanese Foreign Ministry on the “X” platform on Monday morning. Dr. Bou Habib emphasized the urgent need for care and assistance for the displaced individuals from the south, welcoming any possible aid from the International Red Cross.
The situation has been tense with almost daily cross-border exchanges of fire between Hezbollah and the Israeli military, following the onset of the Israeli war on Gaza on October 7. The clashes have resulted in casualties among both Lebanese and Israeli forces. Reuters reported that violence escalated with five Hezbollah fighters being killed in operations against Israel, marking one of the most serious flare-ups at the frontier in 17 years. Hezbollah regularly announces targeting Israeli military sites at the border, to which Israel responds by bombing the infrastructure and fighters of the party in border areas. Hezbollah announced on Sunday that two of its members were killed due to Israeli attacks in southern Lebanon. Alarm sirens frequently go off in towns in northern Israel due to attacks from southern Lebanon.
The continuous conflict has raised concerns about a potential broader regional conflagration, especially with Hezbollah increasing its attacks on Israeli targets in response to the ongoing Israeli offensive in Gaza.
Amidst this turmoil, both Lebanon and Israel have expressed a preference for a diplomatic resolution to the tensions, as stated by a US envoy. This indicates a potential openness to negotiation, despite the current hostilities. However, the situation remains tense, with significant military deployments on both sides of the border and ongoing risks to civilian populations.
