UN Says 900,000 Lebanese Displaced By War, A Quarter Of Country Now Under Israeli Evac Orders

The United Nations has issued a statement estimating that 600,000 Lebanese have now been internally displaced from their homes amid the ongoing Hezbollah-Israel war, and as a massive Israeli bombing campaign on the capital of Beirut has continued. Another 300,000 have already fled the country. The UN called the situation "catastrophic".

"Lebanon finds itself facing a conflict and a humanitarian crisis of catastrophic proportions," Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, the UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon, said. She described that the UN and Western leaders remain hopeful "that Israel too will now be ready to add its support to the many calls and appeals that are out there" for de-escalation and potential ceasefire.

Another official, Imran Riza, who is UN’s humanitarian coordinator described that Lebanon is facing "one of the deadliest periods" given that 600,000 civilians are internally displaced. He identified that over 350,000 these internal refugees are children. "Even wars have rules." This week the US State Department appeared to back off the idea of calling for immediate ceasefire. The US wants to see Hezbollah weakened and defeated.

Israel has pushed back against the growing international criticism of its large-scale bombing of dense neighborhoods by saying, "We are not targeting civilians. But at the same time, if we will find Hezbollah activities or intention to launch rockets into Israel, we will do what any other country would do about it," according to the words of Israel’s ambassador to the UN Danny Danon.

Since Sept. 23, Lebanon's Health Ministry has said Israeli aggression has killed more than 1,323 people and injured nearly 3,700; however, Lebanon's government figures make no distinction between combatants and civilians. Overall, going back to Oct.8, 2023 in the wake of the Hamas terror attacks and the conflict's origin, Lebanon says a total of 2,141 have been called and over 10,000 injured.

As for what amounts to 900,000 displaced at this point, the NY Times summarizes:

More than 600,000 people have been displaced within Lebanon, and over 300,000 more have left the country since the war broke out last month, the U.N. said, a total nearly on par with the number of people displaced during Lebanon’s 2006 war with Israel. Lebanese officials have put the total latest displacement figure at more than one million.

Hezbollah, for its part, has stepped up deeper rocket attacks into Israel, the last several days sending hundreds of rockets on the north, and many dozens on the port city of Haifa, in some cases damaging infrastructure and causing injuries to Israeli civilians.

In southern Lebanon, Israel's military has ordered over 100 towns and villages to evacuate north. It is trying to create a buffer zone to precent Hezbollah launches into northern Israel.

The UN says a quarter of Lebanese territory is now under Israeli military displacement orders. "Lebanon’s humanitarian crisis is deteriorating at an alarming rate. Israeli airstrikes have not only intensified but also expanded into previously unaffected areas and increasingly targeted critical civilian infrastructure," the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said Wednesday.

"Displacement orders for more than 100 villages and urban neighborhoods across southern Lebanon continue to force people to flee," the report said. The IDF confirmed Wednesday it has hit southern Lebanon with 1,100 airstrikes since heightened operations began earlier this month.

Footage recorded on Wednesday shows the destruction in the southern suburbs of Beirut, after days and nights of Israeli strikes. pic.twitter.com/kLYC29xyEp
— Middle East Eye (@MiddleEastEye) October 10, 2024

Prime Minister Netanyahu has urged the Lebanese people to "free" the country from Hezbollah or else face destruction on the level of Gaza. But the reality is that among the country's very divided political blocs and religious communities - the major ones being Maronite Catholic, Orthodox Christian, Shia, and Sunni Muslim - it is Shia Hezbollah which is by far the most well-armed. In the last couple decades of the 20th century, the country went through a horrific civil war, the lasting effects which can still be felt. It is some 40% Christian and about 60% Muslim. The Shias are mostly concentrated in the south, with most Sunnis in Tripoli in the north.

The Lebanese Army is not even close to Hezbollah in military capability, something which the US and Western powers have ensured. The US intentionally limits Lebanon's Air Force - which is made up of a small fleet American-supplied propeller planes, not capable of supplying air defense. Western sanctions have long throttled the types and quantities of arms Lebanon is able to receive. Even though there are many people inside Lebanon, especially among the Maronites, who've long wanted to see Hezbollah disarmed and its power diminished, making this happen from within remains practically impossible.

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