Nearly 700 people have been killed in Lebanon this week, according to Lebanon's Health Ministry. Israel has dramatically escalated strikes, saying it's targeting Hezbollah's military capacities and senior Hezbollah commanders. The International Organization for Migration estimated Thursday that more than 200,000 people have been displaced in Lebanon since Hezbollah began firing rockets into northern Israel in support of Hamas after it stormed into Israel last October, sparking the Israel-Hamas war. Top Israeli officials have threatened to repeat the destruction of Gaza in Lebanon if the Hezbollah fire continues, per the AP.
Lebanon says a total of 1,540 people have been killed within its borders in that time. The United States, France, and other allies have jointly called for a 21-day ceasefire. Lebanon's foreign minister said the country welcomed the ceasefire efforts and decried Israel's "systematic destruction of Lebanese border villages." Israeli military vehicles were seen transporting tanks and armored vehicles toward the country's northern border with Lebanon, and commanders have issued a call-up of reservists. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel is striking Hezbollah "with full force" and won't stop until its goals are achieved.
The UN refugee agency says "well over 30,000" people have crossed from Lebanon into neighboring Syria over the last 72 hours in the wake of fighting between the militant group Hezbollah and Israeli forces in Lebanon. Gonzalo Vargas Llosa, the representative for refugee agency UNHCR in Syria, said roughly half of the people who have fled were children and adolescents. He said about 80% were Syrians returning to their home country and the rest were Lebanese. "I think that this just illustrates the kind of extremely difficult choices both Syrians and Lebanese are having to make," he said. Meanwhile, an Israeli airstrike on a border village has killed nine members of the same family in the village of Chebaa, Lebanon's state-run National News Agency said Friday.
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