Of the many people who have fled their homes as Israel continues its air campaign in Lebanon, more than 70,000 are registered in shelters, Lebanese Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi told reporters on Thursday.
The total number of people who have fled southern and eastern Lebanon is likely to be far higher as many have fled to family homes and hotels, for example, aside from official shelters.
‘On the brink’: Israel and Hezbollah have been trading waves of strikes, forcing tens of thousands in Lebanon to flee their homes. More than 90,000 people are newly displaced in the country, the United Nations said. UN chief António Guterres has warned that Lebanon is “on the brink,” calling on Israel and Hezbollah to “stop the killing and destruction.”
Adding to the pressure to prevent a regional war from erupting, the US and 10 of its allies called for a 21-day ceasefire across the Israel-Lebanon border.
Israel’s prime minister has dismissed reports suggesting there could be an imminent ceasefire and told the Israeli military to continue fighting “with full force.”
