Intense Israeli attacks may have forced up to a million people to flee parts of Lebanon, potentially marking the worst displacement crisis in the country’s history, according to Prime Minister Najib Mikati on Sunday.
Mikati informed reporters that “the estimated number is very high and may reach one million,” which would represent approximately one-sixth of Lebanon’s population.
“It is the largest displacement movement that may have occurred… in Lebanon,” he stated.
On Friday, Israel killed Hezbollah’s powerful leader Hassan Nasrallah, a move that many fear could destabilise both the country and the wider region.
Since Monday, fierce Israeli attacks across Lebanon’s east, south, and southern Beirut have resulted in hundreds of deaths and forced many to abandon their homes.
Earlier this week, UN refugee chief Filippo Grandi reported that “well over 200,000 people are displaced inside Lebanon,” with more than 50,000 fleeing to neighbouring Syria.
The intensified strikes follow Israel’s shift in focus from Gaza to Lebanon after nearly a year of cross-border fire with Hezbollah, which claims to be acting in support of its ally Hamas.
