Lebanon: Flash Update #18 - Escalation of hostilities in south Lebanon, as of 17 May 2024

HIGHLIGHT

  • 93,881 individuals (51% females) have been displaced from south Lebanon due to the ongoing hostilities as of 14 May (source: DTM).
  • 1,472 casualties have been reported, including 355 deaths. Among these, at least 83 civilian deaths have been confirmed. (source: OHCHR, MoPH).
  • Approximately 1,700 buildings have been destroyed, with around 14,000 others damaged, according to Lebanon's Southern Council.

On 17 May, UN Humanitarian Coordinator, Norwegian Ambassador, WHO Country Representative (a.i.) and OCHA Head of Office visited Marjaayoun and Hasbaya districts to discuss the impact of hostilities and improve support efforts with government counterparts.

SITUATION OVERVIEW

Lebanon continues to experience a surge in hostilities, as Israeli airstrikes extend far beyond its southern border, where the most intense bombardments are concentrated. These strikes have continued impacting residential houses, shops, and civilian infrastructure, directly affecting civilian populations living in those areas.

To date, at least 83 civilians have been killed since hostilities escalated in October 2023. According to the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health, the total number of casualties since October 8, 2023, stands at 1,472, including 355 fatalities.

On 5 May, an Israeli airstrike in the town of Mays al Jabal in southern Lebanon resulted in the deaths of four civilians, including a 12-year-old child. On 10 May, an Israeli drone strike in Tayr Harfa, Tyre, killed a first responder and a technician from the mobile telecom provider MTC Touch. On 17 May, two Syrian children were killed by an Israeli drone strike on a factory in Al-Najjarieh Village, Saida.

As of 14 May, 93,881 people have been internally displaced and are seeking refuge across Lebanon, with 96 per cent originating from Bint Jbeil, Marjaayoun, and Tyre districts.

Lebanon's Southern Council, responsible for evaluating the damage, has reported that, since 8 October 2024, the destruction to buildings and institutions has exceeded one billion US dollars in value. Israeli strikes have repeatedly damaged water, electricity, and telecommunications installations, resulting in an additional half a billion dollars in infrastructure damages, according to the council's assessment. Due to ongoing hostilities, these estimates do not account for all the destruction, particularly in hard-to-reach areas. The council estimates that approximately 1,700 buildings have been destroyed, with around 14,000 others damaged.

On 7 May, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said in a statement that an Israeli strike on an emergency and relief center" in the southern village of Habariyeh on 27 March 2023 "killed seven emergency and relief volunteers" and constituted an "unlawful attack on civilians that failed to take all necessary precautions". HRW said that it found "no evidence of a military target at the site" and said the Israeli strike "targeted a residential structure that housed the Emergency and Relief Corps of the Lebanese Succour Association, a non-governmental humanitarian organization".