The ongoing war in the Middle East is not an isolated event; it represents a 75-year cycle of violence marked by historical grievances, geopolitical struggles, and humanitarian crises that have persisted for decades. In the latest episode of this tragic story, Lebanon has become the newest battlefield.
Over the decades, waves of armed violence and countless military operations tied to conflict with Israel have claimed tens of thousands of lives, destroyed vital infrastructure, and deepened the socio-political and humanitarian crisis. In Gaza, which has been under a blockade for 17 years, the humanitarian situation has deteriorated dramatically since Israel launched its most recent military campaign in the densely populated enclave. Intensive airstrikes have destroyed or severely damaged residential buildings, schools, refugee camps, medical facilities, and other critical civilian infrastructure. So far, at least 43,000 people in Gaza have been killed, including some 16,765 children.
This recent military operation began after a premeditated attack on October 7, 2023, in which members of the militant group Hamas killed 1,139 people in Israel, mostly civilians, including children and the elderly. Following hours of violence, the armed group retreated to Gaza taking 267 hostages. While many of them have since been freed or rescued, 87 have died and around 70 including two children remain in captivity.
Tragically, the brutal violence has only continued to escalate, drawing in other armed groups and countries in the region. An outright full-scale war in the Middle East is just inches away from becoming a dreadful reality.
Lebanon, still grappling with legacies of past violence—the 1975-1990 civil war, Israeli-Lebanese conflict and occupation, Syrian military presence, the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah war, political assassinations, and the 2020 Beirut port explosion—is currently navigating a series of political, economic, and social crises in recent years. Now, the fragile country is facing yet another devastating war. Israeli bombardments have reached areas well outside Hezbollah’s strongholds in southern Lebanon and southern Beirut, including the capital’s central district and other parts of the country.
These attacks have caused widespread destruction and have had devastating consequences: As of November 2, close to 3,000 people have been killed and over 13,000 injured, and around 1.2 million people have been displaced, or about 20 percent of the total population. An estimated 850,000 displaced people are now living in difficult conditions, lacking adequate shelter, basic necessities, and essential services.
Hussein, a third-year engineering student, was forced to flee shelling in his hometown and found refuge in a school in another part of the country. “Our lives have changed entirely since being displaced,” he told ICTJ staff in Beirut. “Adapting to life in the school has been hard, and we still aren’t used to it. Each day feels the same: We eat, pray, shower, and wait for the war to end, only to face yet another day of waiting. We miss our town, our home, our belongings, and our loved ones, who feel so far away.”
Lara, who saw her childhood home reduced to rubble, expressed her resolve to return and rebuild. “By carpet bombing buildings, Israel seeks to erase our memories, sever our bond with this land we belong to, and render our existence impossible, leaving us no choice but to leave,” she said to ICTJ staff. "And yet, this is precisely why we will return. We will rebuild new homes and create new memories.”
For the past several years, waves of Lebanese have left the country for reasons related to the ongoing political and economic crises. Now, they are leaving to escape war. Once a haven for 1.5 million Syrian refugees escaping civil war, Lebanon is now witnessing these same refugees, alongside Lebanese citizens, fleeing yet another war and crossing the border into Syria despite the instability and dangers they face there.
As Lebanon confronts the realities of a new war, questions arise about its capacity to cope with and recover from the devastating consequences. While the efforts of ordinary citizens to address the humanitarian crisis have been remarkable, the state’s response has so far been inadequate due to limited capacity, raising serious concerns about whether it can provide vital assistance and manage the crisis long term. The recent conference in Paris on October 24 gathered over 70 nations and international organizations and raised 1 billion dollars in pledges for humanitarian and military support for Lebanon.
However, with thousands of homes demolished and entire neighborhoods wiped out by Israeli airstrikes, and given the country’s already crumbling economy, Lebanon also faces many daunting questions about reconstruction, reparations for victims, and the type of society that will emerge in the war’s aftermath. Will Lebanon be able to create conditions that will encourage those who have left to return? Such conditions would include stabilizing the political landscape, ensuring security, and addressing social and economic hardships. Clearly, these will require considerable time, effort, and most importantly the political will to enact real reform and change.
The displacement crisis also risks heightening existing sectarian strife in Lebanon and triggering internal violence. The country thus urgently needs effective strategies to mitigate these tensions, which are exacerbated by sectarian propaganda and misinformation.
Moreover, it is crucial not to neglect the war’s profound psychological impact on the population. As psychologist Maya Dbouk explained to ICTJ staff, “Collective trauma unfolds on both individual and social levels. Socially, people may adopt behaviors to feel connected to their community, sometimes suppressing emotions as a coping mechanism. Individually, responses vary: Some seek professional support, others internalize their pain, and sadly, some may never fully recover.”
As the parties to the conflict battle for control over the narrative, as they blame and demonize one another in an attempt to polarize their constituencies and the international community, it is important to recognize that their competing versions do not alter the stark reality of human suffering. The number of victims, the intensity of their pain, and the gravity of the atrocities remain unchanged. Indeed, regardless of where they come from, too many innocent lives have been lost, too many have sustained severe injuries, too many have lost their homes and livelihoods, and too many are grieving the death of those dearest to them.
Seventy-five years ago, the world agreed to adopt the Geneva Conventions, which established rules for how armed hostilities must be conducted and civilians protected. All parties to the conflict have been violating these conventions. Hamas and Hezbollah have launched rocket fire into Israel and are accused of positioning military assets within civilian areas endangering non-combatants, while Israel has used disproportionate and indiscriminate force, attacked civilian infrastructure, including medical facilities, schools, residential buildings, and religious sites, and targeted journalists and UN peacekeepers.
Acting against these established norms and rules and disregarding calls and diplomatic efforts to end the violence not only exacerbate the humanitarian crisis but undermine the basic principles of humanity and accountability upon which every society is built. It is imperative that all parties to this conflict uphold these norms and fulfill their commitment to respect and defend human life and dignity even in times of war. Those who violate these principles must be held accountable as victims have the right to justice.
The unspeakable atrocities committed over the past year underscore the urgent need for a comprehensive understanding of the historical context and the root causes of this conflict. There is no military solution to this prolonged violence, which has claimed far too many lives. Lasting political solutions and peace can only be achieved by addressing the conflict’s root causes and fully adhering to the internationally agreed laws and systems that govern our shared world.
It is still possible today to take the first steps toward such ambitious yet attainable goals. That is why it is more important than ever to unite for an immediate ceasefire in the region, ensure the release of hostages in strict compliance with international conventions, and guarantee unimpeded access to humanitarian assistance for all those in need. These essential actions are vital for advancing toward a durable peace centered on human dignity, once and for all.
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PHOTO: Lara’s childhood home in southern Beirut (in the foreground) was reduced to rubble in an Israeli airstrike on October 23, 2024. (ICTJ)
