Over 100,000 people leave Lebanon for Syria as Israeli army orders evacuation

More than 100,000 people have moved from Lebanon into Syria, as over 200,000 people have been displaced from southern Lebanon following the evacuation orders issued by the Israeli military, a UN spokesperson said.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) warned that the number of those displaced is expected to rise as the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) continued to issue evacuation orders — including in 30 villages in south Lebanon — between Monday and Tuesday, said Stephane Dujarric, chief spokesperson for UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres, Xinhua news agency reported.

In northern Israel, over 60,000 people remain displaced from their homes, said the spokesperson at a daily briefing. The UN Refugee Agency continues to step up its emergency response and work with partners to provide urgent humanitarian and protection support in its response to those displaced in Lebanon.

The UN and its partners are supporting the Lebanese government's response by providing food, nutrition for children, water and other essential supplies such as mattresses and hygiene kits. The United Nations Children's Fund supported nearly 200 collective shelters hosting 50,000 displaced with essential supplies.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, Guterres appealed to the international community to urgently support the $426-million emergency flash humanitarian appeal launched in Beirut, Lebanon, earlier in the day. "Our humanitarian colleagues say that this money aims to support 1 million people with humanitarian assistance for the next three months," Dujarric said.

The humanitarian coordinator in Lebanon, Imran Riza, has warned that without sufficient resources, humanitarians risk leaving the population of an entire country without the support they urgently need, Dujarric added.

Meanhwhile, India on Wednesday issued a travel advisory asking all Indian citizens to avoid non-essential travel to Iran owing to the escalating tension in the region. "We are closely monitoring the recent escalation in the security situation in the region," the travel advisory issued by the ministry of external affairs (MEA) said, adding that "Indian nationals are advised to avoid all non-essential travel to Iran".

The MEA also urged Indians currently residing in Iran to remain vigilant and stay in contact with the Indian embassy in Tehran. The advisory was issued after Iran fired a barrage of around 200 missiles at Israel on Tuesday night.

Last week, external affairs minister S. Jaishankar had held discussions with Iranian foreign minister Seyed Abbas Araghch on the current geopolitical scenario in the region during the BRICS meeting held on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.

Tehran, meanwhile, said it had targeted "military and security establishments" in Israel during the attacks on Tuesday. "This action was in defence of the interests and citizens of Iran. Let (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu know that Iran is not a belligerent, but it stands firmly against any threat. This is only a corner of our power. Do not enter into a conflict with Iran," Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian warned after the missile attacks.

With Israel also vowing to retaliate, the situation is expected to turn extremely tense in the region. According to the IDF, the country's air defences intercepted "a large number" of the 180 ballistic missiles launched by Iran. The US also backed Israel, both diplomatically and by detecting the threat from Iran besides intercepting some of the missiles, the Times of Israel reported citing the IDF.

Hours after the Iranian strikes, Netanyahu told a security cabinet meeting that Iran had made a "big mistake" and "will pay" for it. Earlier, IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari said: "Iran's attack is a severe and dangerous escalation. There will be consequences... We will respond wherever, whenever and however we choose, following the directive of the government of Israel."

During the missile attacks, Israel's airports authority had announced the closure of the country's airspace, with incoming flights redirected to other countries. Owing to security concerns, nearby countries of Jordan and Iraq have also announced the temporary closure of their airspace to flights and suspension of air traffic.