The United States and Israel launched Operation Epic Fury against Iran on February 28, and one of the deadliest conflicts in the region in decades will end in a month’s time. The US-Israeli strike killed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s former supreme leader, along with several of the country’s top political and military figures. The bombing also severely crippled Iran’s navy and other military assets, but Tehran refused to give up and vowed to prolong the war until its enemies were defeated.
While this is happening, other countries are also facing the heat of conflict, even if they are not directly involved in the US-Israeli war against Iran. That country is Lebanon, where Israel is currently conducting a ground invasion.
Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon
Israel launched its first wave of airstrikes on Lebanon on March 2 following attacks by Hezbollah in response to the assassination of Ali Khamenei.
In the days that followed, Hezbollah and Israeli forces continued to engage in fighting, leading to near-daily airstrikes on the capital Beirut and other pro-Iranian militia strongholds.
Lebanese civilians will pay the price
Israeli bombing has disproportionately targeted civilians and civilian infrastructure in Lebanon.
According to Lebanon’s health ministry, 26 people were killed and 86 wounded in Israeli attacks in the past 24 hours, bringing the number of wounded to 3,315 since the start of the latest war between Israel and Hezbollah.
More than one million displaced
According to authorities, the war has forced more than a million people from their homes.
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Israeli forces told Lebanese to leave their homes in about 15% of the country, including the entire south, leading to one of the fastest and largest population displacements in the country’s history.
Commenting on the ongoing crisis in Lebanon, Nicolas Von Arx, regional director of the International Committee of the Red Cross, warned on Friday that “the humanitarian situation is deteriorating and civilians are paying the highest price as usual” in the country.
After meeting with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, he said: “Civilians must be protected wherever they are, whether they stay in their homes or are forced to flee”.
370,000 children were displaced
According to UNICEF, more than 370,000 children were forced to leave their homes in Lebanon in just three weeks.
UNICEF country representative Marcoluigi Corsi said the scale of displacement was “staggering”, with 19,000 children uprooted daily, many for the second or third time since the previous escalation just 15 months ago.
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At least 121 children have been killed and 399 injured since the latest escalation began, according to UNICEF.
Schools become shelters
Many civilians now face cramped and dangerous living conditions in more than 660 mass shelters, mostly in schools.
The use of schools as shelters has interrupted education for more than 150,000 students, UNHCR representative in Lebanon Karolina Lindholm Billing said.
The destruction of key bridges in the south has left about 150,000 people isolated and beyond the reach of aid convoys, UNHCR said, adding that some aid movements had been denied entry due to security risks.
Basic infrastructure, including hospitals, waterworks and schools, was damaged or destroyed, cutting off tens of thousands of people from safe water and basic services, Corsi said.
The Lebanese Red Cross and other agencies are providing emergency health care, shelter and food aid but are facing enormous strain as needs and staff are themselves affected by displacement and insecurity, said a spokesman for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) in Lebanon.
Israel continues to pressure Lebanon
Meanwhile, Israeli forces are also pushing into many towns in southern Lebanon, with officials saying they aim to create a security zone reaching the Litani River, about 30 kilometers from the border, to push back Hezbollah and protect northern Israeli communities.
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Israeli military spokeswoman Effie Defrin said earlier that Hezbollah was still operating and carrying out attacks from southern Lebanon.
“If the Lebanese government does not disarm Hezbollah, the IDF (army) will,” he said.
Key things
- The ongoing conflict in Iran has had serious humanitarian consequences in Lebanon.
- Over one million people have been displaced, with a significant impact on children and education.
- International relief efforts are strained, highlighting the urgent need for humanitarian intervention.
