A fresh wave of Israeli strikes struck central Beirut on Thursday, sending thick black smoke into the sky and hitting neighbourhoods that until recently felt relatively safe. The city centre areas of Bashoura and Zuqaq al-Blat, and parts of the southern suburbs, were reported as targets.

The bombardment marks a clear escalation in a week and a half of attacks across Lebanon. Lebanese health officials say the toll so far includes at least 687 dead and more than 1,500 wounded. At the same time, more than 800,000 people have been forced from their homes.

How we got here

The recent surge of violence began on March 2, after Hezbollah fired rockets toward Israel following the wider regional conflict that has involved both the United States and Israel against Iran. Israel says its offensive is aimed at Hezbollah. Hezbollah has responded with repeated rocket strikes into Israel, including a large coordinated salvo the night before the latest raids.

Where people are sheltering and what’s happening on the ground

Thousands of families who fled southern Lebanon and Beirut's southern suburbs are now squeezed into schools converted to emergency shelters, staying with relatives, or living in makeshift tents along the waterfront. Many of those locations are overflowing; one reporter on the ground noted that an overwhelming majority of government shelters are already full.

  • The seafront area of Ramlet al-Baida, where displaced families had been sleeping in tents, was hit earlier on Thursday. At least 12 people were reported killed in what witnesses described as a double-tap strike.
  • Officials and aid groups warn that people in shelters have often already lost their homes and livelihoods, making recovery and return difficult even if the shooting stops.

Humanitarian organizations and UN officials are raising alarm about the rapidly growing crisis. With hundreds of thousands displaced, shortages of food, shelter and medical care are mounting. Many of those forced to flee are day labourers and other people with little savings, which means they face displacement with almost no financial cushion.

Outlook

There is little sign the fighting will ease soon. Civilians across Lebanon are bearing the heaviest burden as bombardment, rocket fire and mass displacement continue. For now, the picture on the ground is grim: crowded shelters, burned-out homes and a population scrambling to stay alive and connected while the violence moves through their neighbourhoods.

This is an ongoing situation and its human cost is rising by the day.