Prepared by: The Media and Communication Department of the “Arab Network for Early Childhood”
November 6, 2024

(Mohamad Suleiman Photography)

Since 4 October 2024, at least Three Lebanese children are martyred every day every day due to Israeli shelling, and 10 others have been injured, according to UNICEF. 

For more than a year, Lebanon has been living through a war that was, to some extent, confined to specific geographical areas. But, for more than a month now, Lebanon has been witnessing unprecedented Israeli aggression targeting its children, families, hospitals, medical and paramedical staff, places of worship, and even its historical landmarks are under threat. 

According to the Lebanese Ministry of Health, the number of martyrs in Lebanon has reached 3365 and 14344 wounded. The number of child martyrs exceeds 216, and the toll escalates daily by dozens as a result of the intensive Israeli raids on various Lebanese regions, with a focus on the south, the southern suburbs of Beirut, and the Bekaa Valley.

In light of the barbaric war on Lebanon, the country is suffering from a massive wave of displacement that, as of 2 November, has reached more than 1.9 million registered IDPs (more than 44,000 families) in shelters. The highest percentage of displaced people was recorded in Mount Lebanon and Beirut governorates, and it is estimated that the number of displaced people is much higher, especially since these are only the numbers of displaced people registered with or by official departments. As of the same date, 1,133 approved IDP reception centres have been opened, of which 957 have reached their maximum capacity.

(Mohamad Suleiman Photography)

False, selective, and misleading warnings

In addition to intensive and indiscriminate Israeli bombardment, mass evacuation notices issued to residents by the Israeli occupation army are causing families to flee. Amnesty International described these warnings as “misleading and inadequate”, stressing that “these warnings do not absolve Israel of its obligations under international humanitarian law never to target civilians and to take all feasible measures to minimise harm to them.” 

The organisation raised questions shared by humanitarian organisations, including those working to protect children, regarding the short notice periods, the method used, and the ability of those affected to evacuate. The occupation army always follows the same method of issuing what it calls an “evacuation warning”, which is inaccurate and misleading in terms of the targeted area and the diameter of the area that may be affected by the bombing (always 500 metres), and the timing of the warning (at midnight) and through social media, at a time when many people are asleep or not connected to the internet or do not follow media reports. 

It is worth noting that most of the strikes carried out by the occupation army in various Lebanese regions did not issue warnings, even in the capital, Beirut, such as the strike adjacent to the “Beirut Governmental Hospital” (Rafik Hariri Hospital), which claimed the lives of martyrs and wounded, including children, and the examples are endless. 

In short, the purpose of these warnings is to save face in front of the international community, continue the narrative of “the most moral army in the world,” and confuse, terrorise and mislead the population.

The issue of mass evacuation orders raises concerns about the repetition of the mass displacement scenario in the Gaza Strip, which is already happening, as the occupation army publishes statements warning the residents of dozens of southern villages, the Bekaa Valley, and the southern suburbs of the capital Beirut to evacuate them. In the latest “mass orders”, the occupation army asked the residents of the Bekaa Valley city of Baalbek, with a population of about 250,000 people, to evacuate it completely, only to start bombing a few hours later, leading to the departure of more than half of its residents, who are living in very tragic conditions. Amnesty International questioned whether “it is intended to create the conditions for a mass exodus”.

(Mohamad Suleiman Photography)

A systematic attack on medical and ambulance crews 

On the health front, UNICEF confirmed that “children in Lebanon are at increased risk for health and protection issues – including waterborne diseases such as cholera, hepatitis, and diarrhoea – as the ongoing bombardment in the country is increasingly disrupting and damaging essential services that families rely on.” Dozens of water facilities have been damaged by Israeli shelling, affecting the water supply for hundreds of thousands of people. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has expressed fears that “cholera could spread very quickly because many of those who have fled the violence in the south of the country have no protection against it,” adding that the disease “could spread very quickly because some of these communities from the south and Beirut do not have much immunity to cholera over the past 30 years, and the risk of spread is very high.”

Lebanon recorded the first case of cholera in a woman in the north of the country in October 2024. The Ministry of Health announced an attempt to trace the source after 267 cholera tests returned negative, adding that the ministry will launch a polio vaccination campaign soon.

This comes against the backdrop of intensive and targeted Israeli aggression against the health sector, medical and ambulatory staff, ambulance centres and ambulances in Lebanon. To date, this aggression has resulted in the martyrdom of around 180 health workers, dozens of hospitals attacked, more than 243 ambulances targeted, and 8 hospitals completely and 7 partially out of service. 

As of 30 October 2024, Human Rights Watch documented “three attacks involving presumed war crimes in which the Israeli military unlawfully bombed medical personnel, transport, and facilities.” The organisation called on “Israel’s allies to suspend arms transfers to Israel given the real risk that they will be used to commit serious violations.” HRW stated that it “sent a letter to the IDF on 7 October 2024 presenting the results of its research (on attacks on medical and ambulatory personnel) and asking questions. It did not receive any response.” It is worth noting that Israel often ignores letters addressed to it. 

(Mohamad Suleiman Photography)

Psychological scars with an Israeli signature 

On the psychological level, thousands of children who have physically survived months of constant shelling are suffering from severe psychological distress… and war often leaves deep psychological scars. “Children across Lebanon are showing worrying signs of psychological, behavioural, and physical distress, explains UNICEF. UNICEF teams have spoken to children who have expressed deep fear and increased anxiety, including separation anxiety, fear of losing loved ones, signs of introversion, aggression, and difficulty concentrating. Many are experiencing sleep disturbances, nightmares, headaches and loss of appetite.”