The number of people fleeing from Lebanon to Syria due to Israeli air strikes has surged to 100,000, doubling in just two days, according to the United Nations.
The UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, revealed the latest figures on Monday, stating that both Lebanese and Syrian nationals are among those seeking refuge.
“The number of people who have crossed into Syria from Lebanon fleeing Israeli airstrikes has reached 100,000,” Grandi said via his social media platform. He warned that the mass exodus continues to rise as Israeli bombardments intensify.
The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) is currently stationed at four crossing points, working alongside local authorities and the Syrian Red Crescent to assist new arrivals. The mass displacement into war-torn Syria began on September 23, and the situation remains critical.
Israeli forces have expanded their offensive, launching attacks on Lebanon and targeting Hezbollah, Iran’s ally in the region.
Friday’s air strike killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, as part of a broader operation that has left more than 700 people dead in Lebanon over the past week, including 14 paramedics. By Friday, an estimated 30,000 people had already crossed into Syria, but that number has now tripled.
The UNHCR representative in Syria, Gonzalo Vargas Llosa noted that 80 percent of those fleeing are Syrian nationals, with the remaining 20 percent being Lebanese. Women and children account for the majority, with approximately half of the displaced being children or adolescents.
Vargas Llosa emphasized the dire situation facing those fleeing into Syria, a country already burdened by 13 years of conflict, economic collapse, and widespread hardship.
