Persisting Israeli strikes in Lebanon.

Photo by Charbel Karam on unsplash.com

The crisis in Lebanon appears far from ending. Indeed, despite the ceasefire with Israel, as reported by UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, “since 17 April, at least 380 people have been killed”. What is even more concerning is that civilians and aid workers are protected under international humanitarian law, but this has not stopped the Israeli forces from targeting non-combatants. Tommaso Della Longa, spokesperson for UN partner, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), said that Lebanese Red Cross volunteers are asking for protection: normally, the Red Cross emblem should protect the operators, but in Lebanon they wear flat jackets and helmets in ambulances, and “in the last two months, two IFRC Lebanon paramedics have been killed or died from injuries sustained while responding to callouts in southern Lebanon: Youssef Assaf and Hassan Badawi”. 

Furthermore, according to the National Council of Scientific Research in Lebanon (CNRS) “428 housing units were destroyed and a further 50 damaged in just the first three days of the ceasefire”, forcing people to flee, unable to return to their homes in the areas controlled by the Israeli army. The UN remains present on the territory, with convoys continuing to deliver assistance, especially in hard-to-reach areas south of the Litani River; however, access remains a major challenge. 

A challenge that is likely to become even more severe, as “Israel has reportedly issued new displacement orders for parts of southern Beirut which include areas housing UN offices, shelters for the displaced and Lebanon's largest public hospital”. 

As a matter of fact, the UNHCR highlighted that “this is a deeply fragile moment, marked by ongoing Israeli airstrikes, shelling, demolitions, evacuation orders, bans on return to certain areas and movement restrictions that continue to drive repeated displacement and rapidly growing humanitarian needs”. Indeed, health services are severely constrained, further deteriorating the broader humanitarian situation in Lebanon; as of now, “three hospitals and 41 primary healthcare centres remain non-operational, while several others are only partially functioning”. As a consequence, many communities are left without access to essential services. Food insecurity represents another major issue: according to the UN, more than 1 million people “could face high levels of acute food insecurity between now and August”. 

Overall, the situation in Lebanon is deeply alarming, and it’s clear that the Israeli army is not respecting international humanitarian law, even despite the ceasefire in place, and that human rights are constantly being violated. What is currently happening in Lebanon is concerningly similar to the scheme used in Gaza, where the situation remains critical to this day.

written by Alice Scotti