Lebanon says around 1 million people displaced due to Israeli attacks

By Stephanie Rady

BEIRUT (AA) - Lebanon’s caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati said Sunday that around one million people have been displaced due to Israeli attacks, marking the largest wave of displacement in the country’s history.

"Lebanon is experiencing the largest wave of displacement in its history,” he told a press conference following a meeting of the government’s emergency committee in Beirut.

“Our priority is to stop the ongoing Israeli aggression through continued diplomatic efforts. We have no other choice,” he noted.

Mikati also reaffirmed Lebanon’s commitment to United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701, which calls for a cessation of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah.

“The Lebanese army is ready to implement the resolution,” he said, stressing the importance of preventing further escalation.

Separately, Mikati had a phone call with his Iraqi counterpart Mohammed Shia al-Sudani during which he thanked Baghdad for its support and assistance to Lebanon.

Sudani reaffirmed Iraq’s commitment to supporting Lebanon, Mikati’s office said in a statement.

The Iraqi premier also offered his condolences for the killing of Hezbollah Secretary-General, Hassan Nasrallah in an Israeli airstrike in Beirut on Friday.

The Israeli army has pounded Lebanon since Sept. 23, killing at least 816 people and injuring over 2,500, the Lebanese Health Ministry said.

Hezbollah and Israel have been engaged in cross-border warfare since the start of Israel's war on Gaza, which has killed nearly 41,600 people, mostly women and children, following a cross-border attack by Hamas last Oct. 7.

At least 1,673 people have since been killed, including 194 women and 104 children, and over 8,600 others injured, according to Lebanese authorities.

The international community has warned that Israeli attacks in Lebanon could escalate the ongoing Gaza conflict into a wider regional war.

*Writing by Ikram Kouachi in Ankara