UN representatives issued a dire warning to Lebanon on Wednesday, stating that a “catastrophic” humanitarian disaster was imminent as 600,000 people were internally displaced and Israel continued its attack against Hezbollah.
Hezbollah said that its members were engaged in combat with Israeli forces in southern Lebanon, rebuffing Israeli attempts to cross the border with rocket-propelled weaponry.
“Lebanon is confronted with a humanitarian crisis and conflict of unprecedented severity,” stated Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, the UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon, during a briefing.
“Hope that Israel too will now be ready to add its support to the many calls and appeals that are out there” for a de-escalation, she said.
But as fighting raged, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu doubled down, warning Lebanon could face “a long war… like we see in Gaza.”
An AFP compilation of official numbers shows that since September 23, Israel has increased the intensity of its airstrikes on Hezbollah strongholds in Lebanon, resulting in over 1,190 fatalities and driving over a million people to flee.
According to 600,000 internally displaced persons, more than 350,000 of them are children, Lebanon is going through “one of the deadliest periods” in its recent history, according to UN humanitarian coordinator for Lebanon Imran Riza.
“Even wars have rules,” he said.
Israel has refused to rule out strikes on Beirut’s civilian airport and its access roads, even as thousands of people continue to flee the country by air and road every day.
“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,” said Israel’s ambassador to the UN Danny Danon.
In reaction to Hezbollah artillery and rocket strikes during the previous year that drove tens of thousands of Israelis from their homes in border areas, Israel’s ground soldiers entered Lebanon on September 30.
