Lebanon: Flash Update #22 - Escalation of hostilities in south Lebanon, as of 14 July 2024

HIGHLIGHTS

• 98,002 individuals (51% females) have been displaced from South Lebanon due to the ongoing hostilities as of 9 July (source: DTM).
• 1,904 casualties have been reported, including 466 deaths. Among these, at least 100 civilian deaths have been confirmed (source: MoPH, OHCHR).
• On 2 July, one farmer was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Zalloutieh, Tyre.
• On 8 July, Lebanon's Ministry of Agriculture condemned an Israeli airstrike on a farm in Jabal Tora, Jezzine, which resulted in the deaths of over 800 farm animals.
• On 13 July, two people were killed in an Israeli drone strike targeting a van in Deir Mimas, South Lebanon.

SITUATION OVERVIEW

Lebanon continues to be severely impacted by ongoing hostilities, with daily exchanges of fire across the southern border. The most intense bombardment is concentrated within 12 km of the Blue Line, while targeted Israeli airstrikes reach deep into the country, extending up to 100 km from the border.

Severe damage to water, electricity, and telecommunications infrastructure, as well as roads in southern Lebanon have been recorded, and maintenance and repair workers have been killed and injured as they attempted to maintain services for the area’s remaining residents, alongside medics and first responders. There has also been a noticeable increase in Israeli warplanes breaking the sound barrier over various Lebanese regions, resulting in widespread panic and the shattering of glass in many residential buildings.

During the ongoing escalations, students' education in Lebanon faced formidable challenges. Ongoing instability, including the risk of shelling, airstrikes and sonic booms, has disrupted the conduct of official exams. Students relocated to other governorate centers encounter significant commuting difficulties amid the escalating situation. These obstacles underscored the severe impact of conflict on educational continuity and student well-being.

Online learners also struggled with unreliable internet and power outages, further complicating their educational experience. The anticipated dropout rate among children attending online classes is high, estimated at 90%.

Lebanon's Council of the South, responsible for evaluating damages, has reported that, since 8 October 2023, the extent of the destruction has reached 3,000 housing units that have been either completely or partially demolished. Additionally, 12,000 housing units have been severely damaged, and 20,000 units have sustained minor damage. The total value of the damage so far has been estimated at 1.7 billion US dollars.

The Council also reported that the agricultural sector lost 17 million square meters, which burned as a result of Israeli shelling, primarily caused by white phosphorus, with effects that will last for many years. Additionally, farmers were unable to harvest crops from 12 million square meters of their land.

To date, at least 13 water infrastructures have been damaged due to cross-border hostilities, impacting the water supply for nearly 200,000 residents in the South and Nabatieh. Water fee collection has fallen to nearly zero in the South and Nabatieh governorates, putting the South Lebanon Water Establishment in a very challenging situation.

To date, at least 100 civilians have been killed since hostilities escalated in October 2023. According to the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health (MoPH), the total number of casualties since October 8, 2023, stands at 1,904, including 466 fatalities.

• On 26 June, five Lebanese civilians were injured in an Israeli airstrike on Nabatieh city, southern Lebanon, that destroyed a residential building in the Al-Mashaa neighborhood and caused damage to dozens of other homes and cars. Additionally, 14 others reportedly suffered from panic, tension, and suffocation.
• On 2 July, one farmer was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Zalloutieh, Tyre.
• On 13 July, two people were killed in an Israeli drone strike targeting a van in Deir Mimas, South Lebanon.

In the wake of recent escalations, the agricultural sector has been significantly impacted. On 8 July, over 800 farm animals were killed in an Israeli attack on a livestock farm in Jabal Tora, Jezzine. Lebanon’s Agriculture Ministry condemned the attack and called on international intervention to “make those responsible pay and provide aid to farmers and herders affected by repeated Israeli aggressions.”

On 11 July, UNIFIL expressed their concerns about the high level of tension seen recently, and the potential for miscalculations that could lead to a sudden and wider conflict, urging a return to the cessation of hostilities.

As of 9 July, 98,002 people have been internally displaced and are seeking refuge across Lebanon, with 97 per cent originating from Bint Jbeil, Marjaayoun, and Tyre districts.

• Some 82 per cent of the IDPs are currently living with host families, while 15 per cent are renting houses. Another two per cent have relocated to secondary residences. Around one per cent are housed in 16 collective shelters.
• Of the 82 percent in host settings, 25,608 are co-living with non-internally displaced families, while 54,923 reside separately. Notably, according to IOM, 19 percent of the 80,009 individuals in host settings live in overcrowded conditions.
• 1,440 displaced people are hosted in 16 collective shelters, with five located in Tyre, six in Hasbaya, four in Nabatieh, one in Saida.
• 33 percent of IDPs are children (< 18 years), while 34 percent are female adults and 33 percent are male adults.

Since February 2024, and up to 14 July, 38 humanitarian missions have been conducted to towns and villages in hard-to-reach areas along the frontline, where around 60,000 civilians are still present, according to available data.