Over 19,000 displaced in Lebanon as Israel expands offensive against Hamas

According to data provided on October 23 by a United Nations organisation, more than 19,000 people have been displaced in Lebanon as a result of an increase in hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah at the country’s southern border.

“An increase in cross-border incidents” has resulted in the displacement of 19,646 people in Lebanon, “both within the south and elsewhere within the country”, said the International Organization for Migration.

“We expect the numbers to rise as the cross-border tensions continue” or if there is an escalation in violence, IOM spokesperson Mohammedali Abunajela told AFP in a statement.

On October 7, militants from Hamas attacked Israel from the Gaza Strip, killing at least 1,400 people, predominantly civilians.

According to the Hamas-run health ministry, more than 5,000 Palestinians, mostly civilians, have died as a result of Israel’s retaliatory bombing assault.

Hezbollah, a Shia Muslim organisation supported by Iran, has increased its attacks on Israel, sparking concerns that it would establish a front in Lebanon in support of Hamas, another Shia organisation.

In addition to limited infiltration efforts into Israel, Palestinian organisations have also carried out cross-border attacks and bombardments on Lebanon.

In Israel, hundreds of communities have been ordered to leave, while thousands of residents in Lebanon have fled, many of them to locations in or around the capital city of Beirut or other regions of the south.

Although Lebanon has not implemented an evacuation plan due to political gridlock and a four-year economic crisis, Prime Minister Najib Mikati has stated that the nation is building an emergency response “as a precaution”.

Internal displacements “may add additional stress to the resources of host communities amid a deteriorating economic situation and the significant rise in poverty across all populations in Lebanon,” according to Abunajela of the IOM.

There are currently three designated schools run by local authorities that are also “sheltered in host and family settings” for the majority of the displaced people, Abunajela told the media.

Three troops and one civilian were among the four fatalities in Israel.

Although the tit-for-tat exchanges have so far been largely restrained, analysts have cautioned that any Israeli ground invasion of Gaza could make it more likely that Hezbollah will increase its role.

Basic services in Lebanon, like energy, healthcare, and education, have been severely hampered by the conflict.

According to Abunajela, “the country’s health system is facing severe resource shortages, including medicines” and medical staff.

He cautioned that “in this context, responding to large-scale displacement and potential health causalities may overwhelm the already fragile health system.”

(With agency inputs)