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UN Refugee Agency: 25% of Lebanon Under Israeli Evacuation Orders Amid Conflict

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The United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) has reported that over a quarter of Lebanon is now affected by Israeli evacuation orders as the conflict between Israel and the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah intensifies. This development comes amid Israel’s ongoing military campaign against Hezbollah, which has included ground incursions into southern Lebanon and airstrikes targeting key Hezbollah infrastructure. The U.N. expressed concerns about the growing humanitarian crisis as civilians continue to flee with minimal belongings.

According to Rema Jamous Imseis, the UNHCR’s Middle East Director, the latest evacuation orders have forced residents of 20 more villages in southern Lebanon to flee. This adds to the 1.2 million displaced people since the escalation of Israeli operations last year. Israeli military actions have resulted in the deaths of over 2,309 people, most of whom have been killed since Israel expanded its campaign in late September. The Lebanese government has not distinguished between civilian and combatant casualties in its reporting. Meanwhile, Israel reports that 50 Israelis, both soldiers and civilians, have been killed during this period, with Hezbollah rocket attacks forcing tens of thousands of northern Israeli residents to evacuate their homes.

In a tragic escalation, an Israeli airstrike on a house in northern Lebanon’s Christian-majority town of Aitou killed 22 people, including 12 women and two children, many of whom were displaced civilians seeking shelter from the bombardment. The U.N. Human Rights Office raised concerns regarding International Humanitarian Law (IHL), calling for an investigation into the attack.

In response to this increasing humanitarian toll, U.N. peacekeepers stationed in southern Lebanon have also come under fire during clashes between Israeli forces and Hezbollah. The U.N. Security Council has expressed concern over the safety of peacekeepers following several strikes on their bases.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to continue military operations “without mercy” across Lebanon, including Beirut, following a Hezbollah drone attack that killed four Israeli soldiers. The conflict, which resumed a year ago in conjunction with the Gaza war, has fueled broader regional tensions. As the conflict escalates, Qatar’s emir has accused Israel of exploiting international inaction to expand its aggression to Lebanon and the West Bank.

The broader Middle East remains on high alert for potential Israeli retaliation against Iran, following Iranian missile strikes on October 1, as regional powers and international mediators continue to work toward a resolution of the crisis.

Myanmar Rebels Reject Junta’s Peace Offer Amid Intensifying Civil War

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Rebel groups in Myanmar have rejected a peace offer from the ruling junta, which has faced significant battlefield defeats and defections during a civil war that has raged for over three years. This marks the junta’s first peace overture since seizing power in a 2021 coup, and it follows the collapse of a China-brokered ceasefire in northern Shan state.

The military called for communication with ethnic armed groups and “terrorist insurgent groups” to politically resolve ongoing conflicts, while also inviting them to join elections scheduled for next year. However, the exiled National Unity Government (NUG) dismissed the offer, stating the junta has no legitimate authority to hold an election.

This offer of peace comes as the junta struggles to maintain control, with reports suggesting it now holds less than half of Myanmar’s territories. In June, a coalition of three ethnic armies launched an offensive, seizing key territory along a highway that connects to China’s Yunnan province. The renewed fighting in Shan state threatens China’s strategic plans to connect its southwestern regions to the Indian Ocean through Myanmar. It is believed that China’s top diplomat, Wang Yi, warned Myanmar’s military leader Min Aung Hlaing of the conflict’s implications during a recent visit.

In the junta’s statement on Thursday, it urged armed groups to participate in “party politics and elections” to achieve lasting peace. The military acknowledged that the conflict has severely damaged the country, leading to loss of human life, destruction of infrastructure, and stalling development.

Rebel groups remain skeptical. The Karen National Union (KNU), which has been fighting the military for greater autonomy along the Thai border for decades, set clear conditions for talks. KNU spokesman Padoh Saw Taw Nee stated that discussions would only be possible if the military agreed to several key objectives: the exclusion of the military from future political roles, the creation of a federal democratic constitution, and accountability for war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Without these commitments, the KNU intends to maintain pressure on the junta both politically and militarily. Maung Saungkha, leader of the Bamar People’s Liberation Army, rejected the peace offer outright, saying his group is “not interested.” Other rebel leaders expressed their distrust, with Soe Thu Ya Zaw of the Mandalay People’s Defense Forces likening the junta’s offer to a deceptive act, stating, “They are hanging goat’s heads but selling dog meat.”

The junta’s seizure of power in 2021, which toppled Myanmar’s democratically-elected government, was met with nationwide protests, many of which were violently suppressed. This prompted ethnic armed groups and anti-coup militias to unite against the military, plunging the country into a protracted civil war.

According to the United Nations, the conflict has killed over 50,000 people and displaced more than two million since the coup. Last week, the UN issued a grim warning that Myanmar was “sinking into an abyss of human suffering.” Survivors have reported severe human rights abuses, including torture by military forces, with accounts of victims being burned with petrol and forced to drink urine.

 

Lebanon Appeals to U.S. Amid Rising Israel-Hezbollah Conflict

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Amid escalating cross-border strikes between Israel and Hezbollah, Lebanon has called on the United States to intervene and stop the fighting, warning that the situation could spiral into full-scale war. On Tuesday, an Israeli airstrike in Beirut killed Hezbollah commander Ibrahim Qubaisi, heightening tensions and sparking fears of regional destabilization. Qubaisi, a key figure in Hezbollah’s missile and rocket force, was targeted amid an ongoing Israeli offensive that has killed over 569 people, including 50 children, and injured 1,835 in Lebanon, according to the Lebanese Health Minister.

The violence follows nearly a year of conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, with fears growing that Hezbollah, an ally of Hamas, could further draw Lebanon into the conflict. The U.N. Security Council is set to meet on Wednesday to address the crisis. U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres warned that Lebanon was “at the brink,” stressing that a conflict in Lebanon could have catastrophic consequences similar to Gaza.

U.S. President Joe Biden, speaking at the U.N. General Assembly, called for restraint, noting that “full-scale war is not in anyone’s interest.” However, Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib criticized Biden’s remarks, urging stronger U.S. intervention and highlighting that Washington is key to halting the violence due to its close alliance with Israel.

Meanwhile, the humanitarian crisis in Lebanon is worsening. Displaced civilians from southern Lebanon are taking refuge in schools and shelters across Beirut. At a shelter in Bir Hassan, volunteers provided basic supplies for displaced families. Amid the growing toll, half a million people have been displaced, with many civilians struggling under extreme conditions.

Hezbollah and Israel continue to trade strikes. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant stated that Hezbollah had suffered significant losses, while Hezbollah claimed responsibility for attacks on Israeli military bases and launched drones at Israel’s Atlit naval base. The conflict shows no sign of abating, with diplomatic efforts from the U.S., Qatar, and Egypt failing to secure a ceasefire.

As international pressure mounts, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian called for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza and an end to what he described as Israeli “barbarism” in Lebanon. Israel, for its part, continues its air campaign, targeting Hezbollah and other Iranian-aligned groups in Syria. The situation remains volatile, with concerns that continued fighting could engulf the region in broader conflict.