Number of people fleeing from Lebanon to Syria exceeds 100,000: Is a new wave of migration coming?
The UN has announced that the number of Lebanese people who have crossed into Syria to escape Israeli attacks has reached 100,000.
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United Nations (UN) High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi reported that approximately 100,000 Lebanese have migrated to Syria to avoid becoming targets of Israeli attacks.
Grandi shared a post on X regarding Israel's attacks on Lebanon.
Informing the public on the matter, Grandi stated, 'The number of Lebanese and Syrians who have crossed from Lebanon into Syria to escape Israeli airstrikes has reached 100,000,' noting that crossings toward Syria are continuing.
Grandi noted that officials from the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) are present at four border crossings alongside local authorities and the Syrian Arab Red Crescent to support those crossing into the region.
Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati had previously noted that around 1 million Lebanese might be forced to migrate.
The Syrian government is not turning Lebanese people away at the border. On the other hand, if the war escalates, Turkey and European countries could face a new wave of migration.
MORE THAN 100 PEOPLE HAVE LOST THEIR LIVES IN ISRAELI ATTACKS
The Israeli army, which has been engaged in controlled clashes with Hezbollah since October 8, 2023, launched hundreds of airstrikes on September 23 against southern Lebanese cities as well as the Bekaa and Baalbek regions.
According to Lebanese authorities, a total of 1,174 people, including 104 children and 194 women, have been killed since September 17, when communication devices used by Hezbollah were detonated.
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was killed in airstrikes carried out by the Israeli army on Beirut on September 27.
Hezbollah is responding to Israel with rockets and missiles. No major damage has been reported in these attacks on the Israeli side, which mostly target military bases.
Hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced within the country due to Israeli bombardment.
While the wave of migration from the southern parts of the country toward the capital Beirut and the north continues, it is stated that tens of thousands of people have migrated to Syria.