While the fear-fascinated gaze of the world was fixed on Donald Trump’s dangerous brinkmanship with Iran, the simultaneous devastation in Lebanon was receiving too little attention. Israel is threatening to redraw the border with its northern neighbour and has over the past month escalated its military campaign from cross-border strikes earlier to a full-scale war that now includes a ground invasion, the bombardment of civilian areas and an explicit plan to occupy large parts of southern Lebanon.

Since mid-March, Israeli forces have advanced further into Lebanese territory after weeks of air strikes that targeted not just Hezbollah positions but also homes, hospitals, universities, bridges and other infrastructure in densely populated areas.

Entire Muslim-majority towns south of the Litani river are being depopulated. Expanding evacuation orders stretch across large parts of the country, and there is a largescale displacement of the population under ongoing bombardment.

The humanitarian toll is staggering. More than 1.5 million people have been displaced, with hundreds of thousands forced to flee north. Civilian casualties continue to rise, with over 1,500 casualties since early March, including more than 200 women and children, and many medical workers and journalists. Entire families have been buried under the rubble as air strikes flatten homes in southern Lebanon and the suburbs of Beirut.

The pattern of destruction is familiar. Healthcare facilities have been struck, ambulance centres hit and medical personnel killed. Doctors on the ground warn that the targeting of Lebanon’s already fragile health system mirrors what was........

© National Herald