WASHINGTON
The UN relief chief warned on Thursday of a possible “occupation” in southern Lebanon as he said 200,000 refugees and displaced people have fled from Lebanon to Syria in recent weeks amid Israeli attacks.
“About 200,000 refugees or displaced people have crossed the border in the last three or four weeks,” Tom Fletcher told the UN Security Council, adding that the vast majority, 175,000 of those, are Syrians coming home, while about 25,000 others are mainly Lebanese and Palestinians.
He described a worsening humanitarian crisis, saying “one in five people in Lebanon is displaced right now,” amid Israel's devastating military action and Hezbollah’s rocket fires.
Fletcher said he saw “enormous destruction” and “active, coercive displacement,” warning: “We may be facing the prospect, and from the sound of the statements being made by some Israeli ministers, it’s a real danger of a fresh occupation, of a fresh occupied territory in southern Lebanon.”
Fletcher also voiced concern about the trajectory of the conflict, saying there is “a sense … this is likely to be a long-running conflict,” and warned that even if the wider war subsides, fighting between Israel and Hezbollah “may not” end.
“That will have significant humanitarian implications for Lebanon, but also for the wider region,” he said.
The escalation began after Hezbollah launched cross-border attacks on Israel following the start of the US-Israel war on Iran on Feb. 28, prompting Israel to carry out airstrikes and ground operations across Lebanon.
Lebanese authorities said that nearly 1,318 people have since been killed and 3,935 others wounded in the Israeli assault.