Lebanon Faces Fears of Becoming the Next Gaza, Says UN Official

Rising Concerns Over Humanitarian Crisis in Lebanon

Tom Fletcher, the United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, has expressed deep concern over the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Lebanon due to ongoing Israeli attacks. He warned that the situation could mirror the devastation seen in Gaza.

“I do fear [that Lebanon could be the next Gaza],” Fletcher stated during an interview with Euronews. “In fact, I fear that because that’s what we’re hearing from some Israeli ministers right now, who are speaking in increasingly belligerent language about what they plan to do to Lebanon.”

The attacks have primarily targeted southern Lebanon and the southern suburbs of Beirut. Israel’s Defence Minister, Israel Katz, has indicated that displaced Lebanese will not be allowed to return until the safety of Israelis in the north is assured, drawing comparisons to the situation in Gaza. Meanwhile, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich suggested that Beirut’s southern suburbs could be reduced to something similar to Khan Yunis in Gaza, which was nearly completely destroyed during the conflict with Hamas.

Lebanon became entangled in the conflict approximately two weeks ago when Iran-backed Hezbollah launched strikes against Israel in retaliation for the assassination of the former Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in an Israeli airstrike. These attacks have resulted in injuries to civilians and damage to residential buildings. Israel claims these actions justify a new offensive against Hezbollah, aiming to disarm the group. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has accused Lebanon of not fulfilling its obligations under a November 2024 ceasefire agreement.

On Monday, Israeli military forces began “limited and targeted ground operations” against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon. The military reported carrying out massive airstrikes and artillery shelling before troops moved into the area. There are growing fears that this could lead to an Israeli occupation of the south. Far-right figures within Israel’s governing coalition have advocated for the creation of a security buffer inside southern Lebanon.

Lebanese authorities report that more than 900 people have been killed in the country due to Israeli attacks, while over one million — roughly one in five people — have been displaced. Many are fleeing mandatory evacuation orders issued by the Israeli military. According to the Norwegian Refugee Council, these orders now cover more than 1,470 square kilometers, or about 14% of the country’s territory.

The Israeli army has implied that remaining in these areas means individuals are considered targets. Designating such areas for widespread indiscriminate attacks is considered unlawful under the laws of war. The IDF applied similar tactics in Gaza.

“The reality is that Israel has issued these instructions to civilians to move from vast, vast areas of the country, so it doesn’t leave very much space for them to seek refuge,” Fletcher explained. He added that Israeli airstrikes have destroyed civilian infrastructure, including healthcare facilities.

Israel claims it targets only Hezbollah-linked locations and issues evacuation orders before any military action. However, Fletcher noted that it is becoming increasingly dangerous for the UN to operate in Lebanon and provide support to civilians.

“We were trying to get a convoy of support down to the south of Lebanon […], and we had to turn back because of the danger levels,” he said. “We lost a colleague in Lebanon last week as well. Our peacekeepers are there to try to keep the peace, literally. We need de-escalation by all sides right now.”

Lebanon’s president, Joseph Aoun, criticized Hezbollah’s strikes on Israel and called for direct negotiations with Israel earlier this month as part of a proposal to end the escalating conflict. This marked the first time Lebanon called for such talks since the 1982 Israeli invasion during Lebanon’s civil war.

Fletcher described this as a “really interesting development.” “The Lebanese government themselves are calling for direct negotiations with Israel, which hasn’t happened in the past,” he said. Fletcher sees this as a potential pathway to peace. “There’s potential here to reset the relationship in the region, but the path for that is through dialogue and diplomacy, and not through more brutal violence.”

However, Lebanon wants the fighting to end before any talks with Israel, lowering the probability of successful negotiations. Israel has not yet responded to these requests for negotiations.

Washington, which under President Trump has positioned itself as a leading mediator in several global conflicts, is preoccupied with the wider war and its impact on the global economy.

In the meantime, the need for humanitarian aid is skyrocketing, while aid organizations face significant obstructions, Fletcher says. “We’ve got another crisis caused by the fact that we can’t get our goods through the Strait of Hormuz.” The blocking of this key shipping passage is also driving up the cost of fertilizers, thereby increasing food prices.

“People talk about the unpredictable consequences of this conflict, but they were quite predictable. We know how much we rely on the Strait of Hormuz for commercial traffic and humanitarian traffic to so many of the places we serve,” he explained. “Since the resumption of this conflict across the Middle East, our access to Gaza, for example, has been restricted. Again, there’s only one crossing open. So that means we get fewer trucks in, less aid, less food, less water, and less shelter.”

Recent funding cuts are further depleting the UN’s ability to respond. In recent months, the US announced it would contribute only $2 billion in United Nations humanitarian assistance, a sharp drop from the up to $17 billion it provided in recent years. It also withdrew from 31 UN entities.

“It’s really rough. We’re trying to save as many lives as we can, but without any stability or guarantee of the money coming in. And so all the time, I’m in Afghanistan, I’m in South Sudan, I’m in Ukraine and Darfur, seeing projects that I know will close and meeting people who I know will die.”