The escalating fighting between Israel and Hezbollah has forced nearly 700,000 people to flee their homes in Lebanon, according to UNICEF, as the conflict enters its second week. Among the displaced are approximately 200,000 children, the UN agency said.
Lebanon was drawn deeper into the regional war after Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed Shiite movement, opened fire in retaliation for the assassination of Iran's Supreme Leader. Israel retaliated with an air and military offensive that has already killed more than 400 people in Lebanon, according to Lebanese authorities.
Israeli strikes notably targeted the southern suburbs of Beirut, a political and military stronghold of Hezbollah. Thick columns of smoke were observed above these neighborhoods as well as in several areas of southern Lebanon.
According to Lebanese security sources, five branches of Al-Qard Al-Hassan, a financial institution run by Hezbollah, were targeted by Israeli airstrikes in the southern suburbs of the capital. Israel had previously announced its intention to target the movement's financial structures.
The Israeli army also ordered the evacuation of several areas considered to be Hezbollah strongholds, including in the southern suburbs of Beirut, parts of southern Lebanon and the eastern Bekaa Valley.
UNICEF has expressed its deep concern about the humanitarian situation. "Children are being killed and injured at an appalling rate," said the organization's regional director, Edouard Beigbeder. Thousands of children are now living in overcrowded shelters, while many families have fled their homes for fear of bombing.
Tensions remain very high in the region. Hezbollah reported a shooting in eastern Lebanon, although the Israeli army stated it was unaware of any such clash. On the ground, airstrikes and exchanges of fire continue, fueling fears of the conflict spreading throughout the Middle East.
