Human Toll on Lebanon Under Threat of Israeli Invasion

UNICEF initiated the distribution of bottled water and emergency hygiene kits at Bir Hasan Public School in Beirut, Lebanon following the September 23 attacks. Credit: UNICEF/Fouad Choufany

By Oritro Karim
UNITED NATIONS, Oct 3 2024 (IPS)

On September 23, Israel began launching a barrage of airstrikes on Lebanon, targeting the Iran-backed militant group, Hezbollah. According to statements from the Israeli Defense Force (IDP), approximately 3,600 sites have been struck, making this the deadliest aerial campaign on Lebanon in the last 20 years.

Reports from the Lebanese government indicate that the recent attacks have killed at least 1,400 people, including high ranking Hezbollah officials Hasan Nasrallah and Nabil Kaouk. In response, Hezbollah launched a series of rockets and drones into Israeli bases, with most being intercepted. As recently as October 2, the group launched a missile strike on an Israeli military base near Tel Aviv.

The death toll is projected to rise as bombings continue with no indication of a ceasefire. Yesterday on October 2, Israel launched a ground invasion on southern Lebanon’s borders, deploying around 10,000 troops to move north.

Hilal Khashan, a professor of political science at the American University of Beirut, adds that Israel’s attacks on Lebanon are in an attempt to weaken Hezbollah responses for a ground invasion with little opposition.

“Once they [IDF] feel that they have softened Hezbollah’s resistance sufficiently enough, they will wage their ground offensive. They are focusing on Hezbollah’s strategic assets,” he said.

Entire residential blocks in Beirut have been decimated, forcing thousands out of their homes. The United Nations reports that approximately 900,000 people have been displaced, with 260,000 internal displacements and 100,000 displacements to Syria. The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) stated that mass displacements are expected to rise in the coming days as the IDF has issued evacuation orders in 30 villages in south Lebanon between yesterday and today.

Additionally, medical facilities in Lebanon struggle to assist on the frontlines. The World Health Organization (WHO) indicated that over 30 primary healthcare centers in highly affected areas have been closed due to damage and insecurity.

Mohamed Arkadan, an emergency responder in Lebanon, stated, “About a dozen apartments had collapsed onto the hillside [we] once overlooked, burying more than 100 people”. Arkadan and his team pulled over 40 bodies from the rubble, which included those of children.

The attacks took a significant psychological toll on Lebanon, particularly on frontline with emergency personnel. Dr. Basil Abdallah, the medical director of Rayak Hospital in Rayak, Lebanon, explained: “Seeing children bombed, seeing elderly patients and women bombed, it’s difficult. Most of the nurses and the doctors are depressed. We have emotions. We are human”.

Karim Bitar, a professor of international relations at Saint Joseph University in Beirut, described Israel’s offensive tactics as a “psychological war”.

Humanitarian organizations fear that the increasingly indiscriminate attacks signal the wake of war.

“The way Israel wages war is markedly different from that of its allies in terms of frequency and intensity of strikes,” said Emily Tripp, director of Airwars, a British non-profit organization that tracks civilian casualties from international conflicts. “The United States dropped 500 munitions in one day during the peak of its 2017 campaign against the Islamic State in Raqqa. Israel far exceeded this firepower, reporting strikes on 1,600 targets on Sept. 23 alone.”

Earlier this morning, UN Secretary-General António Guterres spoke with Lebanon Prime Minister Najib Mikati, assuring that the UN is fully mobilized to provide direct humanitarian aid to affected areas. The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has provided essential supplies to over 200 shelters. WHO is providing medical workers in Lebanon with financial and technical support. The World Food Programme (WFP) has provided hot meals and emergency cash to 10,000 households. The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) will maintain their position and adjust their activities in accordance to their mandate.

IPS UN Bureau Report