Middle East update: Airstrikes and evacuation orders in Lebanon, aid restrictions in Gaza
Following the airstrikes in Lebanon, families were seen spending the night in their vehicles in the capital Beirut, where some shelters have taken in dozens of families in the past 24 to 48 hours. Nearly one million people overall are still displaced across the country in the wake of the escalation of hostilities between Israeli forces and Hezbollah militants that began on 2 March. UN Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq said that for the first time, the Israeli military issued an evacuation order on Tuesday for the city of Nabatieh, located north of the Litani River. A renewed evacuation order was also issued for the town of Mashgara in Bekaa, where rescue operations are continuing following an Israeli airstrike on Monday night. Health workers killed The World Health Organization (WHO) said nine attacks on healthcare were recorded in four days, 21-24 May, resulting in eight health workers killed and 45 injured. On 23 May alone, 25 medical staff were injured at the Hiram Hospital in South governorate, following several airstrikes in the immediate area. That same day, an Israeli airstrike destroyed the Civil Defense Center in Nabatieh, including firefighting and rescue equipment, as well as heavy machinery, impacting the already overstretched emergency response capacity. Two other hospitals, in South and Nabatieh governorates also sustained damage from nearby strikes in recent days. “We reiterate that attacks on health workers and health facilities are unacceptable. All parties to conflicts must immediately stop them and ensure protection for healthcare,” said Mr. Haq. Record airspace violations He also provided an update on the work of the UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon, UNIFIL. Since last Friday, UNIFIL has observed extensive Israeli military activity as well as non-State armed group attacks – presumed to be by Hezbollah – on Israeli forces in its area of operations, despite the cessation of hostilities. On Monday, peacekeepers detected 91 airspace violations – the highest number since the ceasefire came into effect on 17 April. They also reported 399 firing incidents attributed to Israeli forces and 11 trajectories of projectiles attributed to Hezbollah. UNIFIL has also facilitated several humanitarian missions in coordination with UN and other aid agencies.
