06/03/2026
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06/03/2026
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BEIRUT, Mar 6: Hundreds of thousands of people in Lebanon have been forced to flee their homes as fighting between Israel and the Hezbollah militant group intensifies, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said.
“Across Lebanon, hundreds of thousands of people have had to flee their homes,” said Hachem Osseiran, ICRC spokesperson for the Middle East. “The intensification of hostilities, coupled with evacuation orders covering entire districts in Beirut, southern Lebanon, and the Bekaa Valley, has sown panic and confusion. Many people have fled, some on foot, with nothing but the clothes on their backs and no clear sense of where to go.”
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam warned of an impending humanitarian disaster, calling on the international community for urgent assistance. Speaking to heads of diplomatic missions in Beirut, Salam criticized both Israel and Hezbollah, emphasizing that “the Lebanese state and people did not choose this war” and appealing for support to halt attacks and protect the country’s infrastructure.
The violence has already taken a heavy toll. An Israeli strike in the southern coastal city of Sidon killed five people and injured seven others, according to Lebanon’s health ministry. As of Thursday evening, the overall death toll in Lebanon stood at 123, with 683 wounded, though the number of civilian casualties has not been confirmed.
No immediate comment was issued by the Israeli military regarding the latest strikes.
The surge in fighting has sparked widespread displacement and mounting fears of a full-blown humanitarian crisis as Lebanon struggles to cope with the escalating violence.
