Lebanon - September 2024

Israel attacked Lebanon in September, causing major casualties, extensive destruction of civilian infrastructure, and mass displacement. On 17 and 18 September, coordinated explosions of manipulated handheld pagers and walkie-talkies distributed to alleged Hezbollah affiliates (including civilians), killed 32 people and injured over 3,250 others. UN experts condemned these attacks as ‘indiscriminate’ and potential war crimes. Israeli airstrikes intensified across the country, with the deadliest attack on 23 September killing 558 people and injuring 1,835 others, according to Lebanon’s Health Ministry. High-profile political assassinations took place, including the killing of Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah, along with other senior members of Hezbollah, Hamas and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP). However, most of the casualties were unarmed civilians, as reported by Lebanon’s Health Ministry. By the end of the month, 100,000 people had fled to Syria.

Sources: OHCHR, Al Jazeera, The New Arab, Lebanese Ministry of Health, UNFPA, UNHCR, Annahar