Nearly 700,000 displaced in Lebanon as Syrians begin returning home

Israel’s renewed war on Lebanon has displaced nearly 700,000 people across Lebanon, prompting neighbouring Syria to open parts of its border to facilitate the return of its own citizens.

On Monday, UNICEF said the number of displaced was at nearly 700,000 people, including 200,000 children.

Lebanon's Social Affairs Minister Haneen Sayyed had previously said at a press briefing on Sunday that at least 517,000 people had registered as displaced on a government-affiliated platform since the conflict escalated last Monday.

Of these, 117,228 people are currently sheltering in government facilities.

The figures reflect a mass exodus from large parts of southern Lebanon, where Israel has issued evacuation threats covering more than 100 towns.

Videos and eyewitness reports from the past week show entire families hastily packing belongings and fleeing north of the Litani River, many of them already traumatised by displacement during the 2023 war.

The evacuations coincide with intensified Israeli military operations along the border, as clashes between Hezbollah fighters and Israeli ground forces have escalated in recent days.

Displacement has also surged from southern Beirut, where Israel has launched a large-scale bombardment campaign targeting areas it claims are linked to Hezbollah.

Lebanese health authorities say nearly 400 people have been killed in the latest escalation, with entire residential buildings reduced to rubble.

Syria opens Arida crossing for returning citizens

Syria on Sunday opened the coastal Arida border crossing with northern Lebanon specifically to allow Syrian citizens fleeing the war to return home.

In a statement, Syria's General Authority for Ports and Customs said the crossing had been opened "to facilitate the return of Syrian nationals and alleviate their suffering".

The authority confirmed that Syrian citizens arriving from Lebanon are now being received at the crossing.

Its director, Mazen Alloush, said the crossing is currently limited to pedestrians and operates in one direction only, allowing movement from Lebanon into Syria.

Transporting household furniture remains prohibited because the crossing infrastructure still requires repairs before vehicles can pass.

The bridge linking northern Lebanon to Syria’s Tartus region collapsed earlier this year following severe flooding and previous Israeli airstrikes.

Photographs from the site showed Syrian Red Crescent and civil defence teams stationed at the crossing to receive returnees and provide immediate assistance.

Although official figures have not yet been released for how many Syrians have crossed back into their country since the border reopening, officials say traffic has increased significantly since the war began on 2 March.