Lebanon: Flash Update #25 - Escalation of hostilities in South Lebanon, as of 23 August 2024

HIGHLIGHTS

• 111,940 individuals (51% females) have been displaced from South Lebanon due to the ongoing hostilities as of 15 August (source: DTM).
• 2,412 casualties have been reported, including 564 deaths. Among these, at least 133 civilian deaths have been confirmed (source: MoPH, OHCHR).
• On 17 August, an Israeli strike on a warehouse in Kfour, Nabatieh, resulted in the deaths of 10 Syrian nationals.
• On 19 August, the Humanitarian Coordinator for Lebanon, Imran Riza, a mission to Hebarieh in South Lebanon to highlight violations of international humanitarian law and advocate for the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure.

SITUATION OVERVIEW

Tensions in southern Lebanon have reached a critical level over the past three weeks, with escalating hostilities posing severe risks to civilians. The situation along the Blue Line remains volatile, with nearly 150,000 people residing within 10 km of the border, facing daily shelling and airstrikes.

To date, at least 133 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 8 October 2023 stands at 2,412, including 564 fatalities.

• On 17 August, an Israeli strike on a warehouse in Kfour, Nabatieh, resulted in the deaths of 10 Syrian nationals, including a woman and two children.
• On 18 August, three United Nations peacekeepers sustained minor injuries after a blast occurred near their vehicle in Dhayra, Southern Lebanon. UNIFIL confirmed that all peacekeepers involved in the patrol safely returned to their base, and an investigation is ongoing.
• On 19 August, Lebanon’s representative to the UN filed a formal complaint against Israel, accusing it of violating Resolution 1701 through continued breaches of Lebanese airspace, which have become increasingly concerning due to Israeli fighter jets frequently breaking the sound barrier in recent weeks.
• On 20 August, four Israeli strikes targeted the Bekaa region, killing one civilian and injuring 20 others, including eight children and a pregnant woman.
• On 20 August, an Israeli airstrike in Beit Leif killed a Syrian refugee.
• On 20 August, Lebanon's Ministry of Health reported that three paramedics from the Islamic Health Committee were injured when the Israeli military targeted them in southern Lebanon, causing significant damage to the ambulance they were traveling in. The ministry strongly condemned the repeated targeting of health workers in the region.
• On 23 August, an 8-year-old child was killed in an Israeli drone strike in Aita al-Jabal, southern Lebanon.

Displacement has increased by nearly ten percent since 8 August, with 111,940 people now internally displaced and seeking refuge across Lebanon, 94 percent of whom are from Bint Jbeil, Marjaayoun, and Tyre districts.

• Some 78 percent of the IDPs are living with host families, while 19 percent are renting houses. Another two percent have relocated to secondary residences, and around one percent are housed in 15 collective shelters.
• Of the 78 percent in host settings, 28,064 are co-living with non-internally displaced families, while 59,112 reside separately. According to IOM, 21 percent of the 87,176 individuals in host settings live in overcrowded conditions.
• 1,283 displaced people are hosted in 15 collective shelters, with five located in Tyre, five in Hasbaya, four in Nabatieh, and one in Saida.
• 35 percent of IDPs are children (< 18 years), while 34 percent are female adults and 31 percent are male adults.

Marking World Humanitarian Day, the Humanitarian Coordinator for Lebanon, Mr. Imran Riza, led an advocacy mission to South Lebanon, accompanied by the Minister of Environment, WHO, WFP, OCHA, ICRC, LRC, and the Lebanese Succor Association. The visit underscored violations of international law, particularly through a stand at a relief center that was destroyed by an Israeli airstrike in March 2024, resulting in the deaths of seven paramedics. During the mission, the Humanitarian Coordinator called for the protection of civilians in South Lebanon and emphasized the urgent need for increased funding to expand aid efforts for those in need across Lebanon.