Monday, 23 December 2024
Monday, 23 December 2024
Thousands of Lebanese and Syrian citizens are fleeing Lebanon, desperate to escape the escalating Israeli airstrikes that have put civilian lives in danger. With hundreds of vehicles backed up at the Syrian border, many people—men, women, and children—are walking on foot, carrying what belongings they can manage.
As temperatures drop, large crowds, including women with infants, wait in line, forced to spend nights outdoors. Some carry fresh injuries, reminders of the recent bombardments.
At least 90,530 newly displaced people have been reported in Lebanon including nearly 40000 in 283 shelters, with more families abandoning their homes by the minute. The ongoing hostilities have claimed over 500 lives and left more than 1800 others injured.
The long-standing enmity between Hezbollah and Israel has led to near-daily cross-border fire since October 7, when Palestinian militant group Hamas launched an unprecedented attack on Israel. While these exchanges were initially intermittent, Israel has now boosted its operations, plunging the region deeper into turmoil.
On Wednesday, Lebanon’s Hezbollah escalated tensions, claiming responsibility for launching a rocket at Mossad headquarters near Tel Aviv, which it accuses of assassinating its leaders and tampering with its communication equipment. The Israeli military confirmed that a surface-to-surface missile from Lebanon was intercepted by its air defence systems, with warning sirens sounding in Tel Aviv.
Hezbollah, backed by Iran, has fired hundreds of missiles into Israel over recent days, intensifying the violence that has been simmering along the southern Lebanese border for months. The Israeli military has responded with its heaviest airstrikes of the conflict, specifically targeting Hezbollah leadership. One of the most significant strikes occurred on September 24, when senior Hezbollah commander Ibrahim Qubaisi, head of the group’s missile and rocket force, was killed in Beirut.
As the violence continues to escalate, international leaders have raised urgent calls for de-escalation. Meanwhile, Egypt, Jordan, and Iraq have issued a joint statement, warning that Israel's actions are pushing the Middle East towards all-out war. The countries urged the United Nations Security Council to intervene, stressing that the only way to avoid further conflict is to halt 'the Israeli aggression on Gaza.'
Pope Francis, on Wednesday pleaded for global intervention: "I am saddened by the news coming from Lebanon, where intense bombing in recent days has caused much death and destruction. I hope that the international community will make every effort to stop this terrible escalation. It is unacceptable. I express my closeness to the Lebanese people, who have already suffered too much in the recent past."
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has called for an immediate evacuation of British nationals. "The most important message from me to British nationals in Lebanon is to leave immediately,” Starmer said in a press briefing, adding, "It is important that we’ve been really, really clear: now is the time to leave.” He further stressed the need for urgent de-escalation, saying, "We need de-escalation, we need a ceasefire, we need to pull back from the brink."
Similarly, the United States is urging its citizens to leave Lebanon while commercial flights are still available. White House national security spokesperson John Kirby emphasised the urgency, stating, "We want to make sure that there are still commercial options available for Americans to leave, and they should be leaving now while those options are available."
