U.N. refugee agency says 25% of Lebanon under Israeli evacuation orders

Israel issues military evacuation orders in Lebanon, affecting a quarter of the country, amid ongoing conflict with Hezbollah.

Israel, which began incursions into south Lebanon two weeks ago to battle Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah, has issued military evacuation orders affecting more than a quarter of the country, the U.N. refugee agency said on Tuesday (October 15, 2024).

The figures underscore the heavy price Lebanese are paying as Israel steps up its campaign to defeat Hezbollah and destroy its infrastructure in their one-year conflict.

The U.N. refugee agency's Middle East [West Asia] Director Rema Jamous Imseis told a press briefing in Geneva that new Israeli evacuation orders to 20 villages in southern Lebanon meant that over a quarter of the country was now affected. "People are heeding these calls to evacuate, and they're fleeing with almost nothing."

Israeli strikes have killed at least 2,309 people over the last year, the Lebanese government said, and more than 1.2 million people have been displaced.

The majority have been killed since late September when Israel expanded its military campaign. The toll does not distinguish between civilians and combatants.

Around 50 Israelis, both soldiers and civilians, have been killed, according to Israel.

Israel says its operation in Lebanon aims to secure the return of tens of thousands of its residents forced to flee their homes in northern Israel due to Hezbollah attacks.