UNHCR reports Israel’s attacks on Lebanon target refugee routes, worsening crisis

Gonzalo Vargas Llosa, the UNHCR Representative in Syria, reported that Israel’s ongoing attacks have targeted routes used by people fleeing from Lebanon to Syria.

Llosa confirmed that Israel has bombed the Jounieh region in southern Lebanon, near the Syrian border, for the third time. This has made it nearly impossible for people to escape.

https://twitter.com/llosa_gonzalo/status/1860635662866604164

Despite significant risks, UNHCR staff are trying to assist those still able to cross into Syria. However, some vulnerable individuals, especially the elderly, have been forced to return to Lebanon, where they face further bombings.

In recent weeks, nearly 560,000 people have fled from southern Lebanon to Syria due to the escalating Israeli airstrikes.

BEIRUT, LEBANON - NOVEMBER 24: Smoke rises over residential area following the Israeli attacks on Dahieh region of Beirut, Lebanon on November 24, 2024. ( Houssam Shbaro - Anadolu Agency )BEIRUT, LEBANON - NOVEMBER 24: Smoke rises over residential area following the Israeli attacks on Dahieh region of Beirut, Lebanon on November 24, 2024. ( Houssam Shbaro - Anadolu Agency )

Israel’s attacks on Lebanon: Over 3,700 dead

Since the onset of the conflict with Hezbollah on Oct. 8, 2023, Israel has launched extensive airstrikes on southern Lebanon, as well as on the Bekaa and Baalbek regions.

• Casualty toll: According to the Lebanese Ministry of Health, over 3,700 people have been killed, including 926 women and children, and 220 health care workers. In addition, over 15,600 people have been injured.
• Ongoing retaliation: Hezbollah has continued to fire rockets and missiles at Israeli army bases, although no significant damage has been reported.

Escalation on the Israel-Lebanon border has sent Lebanese seeking safety in neighbouring Syria. (Louai Beshara/AFP)Thousands of Lebanese are fleeing to Homs, Aleppo, Damascus and Hama provinces in Syria, which have been bombed and evacuated by the Bashar al-Assad regime following the Israeli army's attacks on different parts of Lebanon. In the last three days, Lebanese, including Hezbollah members and families, have entered Syria through the al-Masnaa border crossing between Lebanon and Syria, 45 km from the Syrian capital Damascus. (Hisham Hourani - Anadolu Agency)Thousands of Lebanese are fleeing to Homs, Aleppo, Damascus and Hama provinces in Syria, which have been bombed and evacuated by the Bashar al-Assad regime following the Israeli army's attacks on different parts of Lebanon. (Hisham Hourani - Anadolu Agency)

Displacement crisis

The violence has led to a massive displacement crisis in Lebanon. The Lebanese government reports that nearly 1.9 million people have been displaced within the country, with over 624,000 seeking refuge in Syria.

November 25, 2024 12:50 PM GMT+03:00