Israel airstrike kills three journalists in Lebanon, UNHCR warns displacement crisis News
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Israel airstrike kills three journalists in Lebanon, UNHCR warns displacement crisis

An Israeli strike in south Lebanon resulted in the deaths of three journalists, Lebanon’s health ministry said on Friday. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) also raised concerns over Israeli airstrikes impacting a border crossing with Syria.

In a statement on Facebook, the Public Health Emergency Operations Center of the Lebanon Ministry of Public Health confirmed that the Israeli attack on journalists’ residence in Hasbaya led to three deaths and left three others wounded.

In a detailed report on Friday, the Lebanon Ministry of Public Health documented 55 attacks on hospitals and 201 assaults on emergency services during the Israeli aggression in Lebanon. According to the ministry, these actions flagrantly violate international humanitarian law and the Geneva Conventions, which mandate the safeguarding of civilians, health workers, and medical facilities during conflicts.

Rula Amin, senior communications advisor at UNHCR, highlighted at a UN briefing in Geneva that airstrikes on border crossings between Lebanon and Syria were obstructing escape routes for fleeing individuals.

UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi underscored the multiple humanitarian crises unfolding in Lebanon, with displacement being particularly catastrophic. He stated that significant portions of the country have been deserted, a fifth of the population displaced, and 430,000 people are seeking refuge in Syria escaping one conflict only to face another. Grandi further emphasized the urgent need for a ceasefire, followed by a sustainable political and military accord. In the interim, aiding all civilians in Lebanon, including Syrian and Palestinian refugees, is crucial.

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