Attachments
IMPACT OVERVIEW
On 1 March 2026, Israel launched a military offensive on Lebanese territory mainly targeting southern Lebanon. By 4 March, Israeli air strikes had killed at least 72 people and injured 437 (Megaphone News 04/03/2026). Israel has also deployed ground forces in southern Lebanon beyond the five strategic hilltops along the Blue Line that it has occupied since the November 2024 ceasefire, potentially seizing further territory, impeding access, and causing further displacement (Reuters 03/03/2026; Le Monde 03/03/2026).
On 2 March, Israel issued evacuation orders for more than 50 villages across southern and eastern Lebanon, sparking rapid widespread displacement. Early on 3 March, additional evacuation warnings instructed residents of dozens more southern villages to leave their homes as operations expanded (Amnesty International 03/03/2026).
By 4 March, the escalation had displaced an estimated 80,000 people, with more expected as Israeli forces broaden operations and issue further evacuation (NRC 04/03/2026; Al-Araby Al-Jadeed 02/03/2025; OCHA 04/03/2026). The Israeli attacks came after Hezbollah claimed responsibility for firing rockets into Israel on 1 March. According to Hezbollah, this was in retaliation for Israel’s killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on 28 February and repeated ceasefire violations. Hezbollah’s attack did not cause any casualties or damage (Axios 02/03/2026).
Lebanon’s Government has banned all Hezbollah military activities in response and ordered the group to surrender its weapons (Asharq Al-Awsat 02/03/2026). Since the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Lebanon took effect on 27 November 2024, Israel has launched repeated attacks on Lebanon, implementing over 10,000 air and ground violations of the ceasefire (AA 28/11/2025; AJ 07/01/2025 and 26/01/2026). The attacks had killed at least 127 civilians in Lebanon by 24 November 2025 (OHCHR 25/11/2025 and 17/10/2025). Hezbollah has largely refrained from responding to these attacks (NPR 17/12/2025).