Arabic version: غزو إسرائيل يشرد أكثر من 1.2 مليون في لبنان

Israel’s latest invasion of Lebanon has forced more than 1.2 million people, including 350,000 children, to flee their homes, creating one of the world’s fastest-growing and most severe displacement crises. Since March 2, Israeli forces have launched more than 1,840 attacks on Lebanon, according to Armed Conflict Location and Event Data (ACLED), an independent monitor. Attacks have killed more than 1,497 people and injured more than 4,639, according to Lebanon’s Ministry of Public Health. The Israeli army claims its forces are targeting strongholds of the Iranian-backed group Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.

According to Al Jazeera, one in five people in Lebanon, or 20 percent of the country’s 5.9-million population, has been displaced by Israeli attacks over the past month. This places Lebanon among the top 10 in recent years for significant displacement crises.

Data from ACLED shows that between March 2 and March 27, there were more than 2,000 attacks in Lebanon. Israel carried out more than 1,840 of these – 1,486 were air or drone attacks, and 318 were shelling/artillery/missile attacks. The most heavily attacked administrative municipalities in Lebanon include: Bint Jbeil with 418 attacks by Israeli forces, Nabatieh (397), Tyre (394), Marjayoun (228), and Sidon (113). These attacks have had huge consequences for local people, targeting bridges and crossings in southern Lebanon, aimed at cutting off and isolating communities.

In a recent statement, Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz said Israel plans to destroy Lebanese border towns and continue its occupation of the south of the country. The widespread displacement orders now cover more than 1,470 square kilometers (568 square miles), or about 14 percent of the country’s territory, leading to significant humanitarian challenges as residents flee their homes.