BEIRUT: Israeli attacks have killed at least 850 people in Lebanon during two weeks of war between Israel and Hezbollah, the country’s health ministry said Sunday.
The ministry said the toll includes 66 women, 107 children, and 32 health workers, while 2,105 other people have been wounded.
The escalation comes as Lebanon is increasingly drawn into the wider Middle East conflict.
Hezbollah stepped up attacks on Israel after Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed during the opening wave of US and Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28.
Israel has since intensified air raids across Lebanon and deployed ground troops near the border in response to Hezbollah drone and rocket attacks.
The regional conflict has widened as Iran retaliates with missile and drone strikes targeting Israel as well as Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries hosting US military facilities.
The escalating violence in Lebanon has also triggered a major humanitarian crisis.
More than 700,000 people have been forced to flee their homes across the country, according to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
UNICEF regional director Edouard Beigbeder said around 200,000 of those displaced are children, many now living in temporary shelters under difficult conditions.
Aid agencies warn that children are among the most vulnerable victims as the fighting continues.
