Death toll from Israeli attacks on Lebanon surges past 2,000: Health ministry

Lebanon’s health minister has said that 2,023 people have been killed “since the start of Israeli aggression on Lebanon”.

The dead include 127 children and 261 women, along with 9,526 wounded.

The United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has expressed grave concern over the increasing toll on civilians as a result of Israel’s continued attacks on Lebanon.

“The secretary-general is very concerned about the increasing toll on civilians that we’re seeing across the immediate region Beirut,” UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said at a news conference.

Noting that residential areas in Lebanon’s Beirut were “once again” targeted by “intense overnight Israeli airstrikes”, Dujarric added: “The strikes continued unabated in other parts of Lebanon. The toll on civilians from this campaign is totally unacceptable.”

Dujarric urged all parties to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure, and said that Imran Riza, the UN deputy special coordinator for Lebanon, announced an additional $2 million from the Lebanon humanitarian fund “to address the deteriorating situation, bringing the total allocation to $12 million so far.”

Citing the UN’s Office of the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Dujarric stated the UN is concerned about the safety of civilians especially with the evacuation orders issued by Israel in the south of Lebanon.

Dujarric reaffirmed that the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) is continuing its mission “despite the very dangerous environment,” and said the mission is urging all sides for de-escalation and full implementation of the UN Security Council resolution 1701.

The resolution 1701, adopted on Aug. 11, 2006, demands a cessation of hostilities between Lebanon and Israel and the establishment of a demilitarized zone between the Blue Line – the de facto boundary between Lebanon and Israel – and the Litani River, allowing only the Lebanese army and UNIFIL to possess weapons and military equipment in the area.