The United Nations said that Israeli strikes across the country had pushed over 1 million people to flee in Lebanon, nearly a third of whom were children.
The situation in Lebanon escalated after 28 February, when US and Israeli forces launched attacks on Iran. As a result, on 2 March, the group Hezbollah attacked a military facility in northern Israel in response to what it described as ongoing Israeli attacks on Lebanon, despite the ceasefire that came into effect between Israel and Lebanon in November 2024.
UN spokesperson Farhan Haq said during a press conference on Wednesday that “more than one million people are now displaced, including 367,000 children – that is nearly one third of the displaced,” as fighting between Israeli forces and armed groups in Lebanon showed no signs of abating.
Referring to the UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon, Haq reported a sharp deterioration in the security situation across the mission’s area of operations, noting:
“Heavy exchanges of fire, intensified air and ground activity, and the increased presence of Israeli forces inside Lebanese territory,” he said. “Overnight and into the early morning, Israeli strikes on central Beirut reportedly caused additional casualties. Earlier today, authorities reported significant damage sustained by three government hospitals following Israeli strikes, injuring healthcare workers.”
The organisation called on both countries to de-escalate the conflict and recommit to the full implementation of Security Council Resolution 1701, as civilians on both sides of the front line continue to suffer.
