More than 1.1 million people have been displaced across Lebanon amid escalating hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah , the United Nations said on Tuesday, as Israel seeks to expand its invasion of southern Lebanon while continuing airstrikes across the country.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said over 137,000 displaced people, around one third of them children, were sheltering in nearly 700 collective centres, most of them schools.
The majority are staying with host communities or in informal settlements, where access to basic services remains severely limited.
UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said humanitarian agencies were working with the Lebanese government to respond to growing needs, as damage to water infrastructure continues to disrupt supply.
The UN has renewed calls for de-escalation and protection of civilians, warning that humanitarian needs are rising rapidly.
The humanitarian toll has continued to mount as Israeli strikes hit densely populated areas.
On Sunday, Israeli forces struck a residential neighbourhood in Beirut close to Rafik Hariri Public Hospital, triggering a mass-casualty influx.
Five people were killed, including a 15-year-old girl and two Sudanese migrants, while 52 others, including eight children, were wounded, according to Lebanon's health ministry.
The ministry said at least 1,497 people have been killed and 4,639 wounded since 2 March.
Aid organisation Doctors Without Borders (MSF), which was supporting the hospital, warned that strikes in crowded civilian areas without warning are placing immense strain on hospitals and risk deterring people from seeking lifesaving treatment.
On the ground, Israel said it had completed deployment along an "anti-tank missile line" in southern Lebanon, in an attempt to prevent Hezbollah from directly firing towards northern Israel.
The group has claimed over 1,800 rockets and drones of rocket fire onto northern Israel, killing at least one Israeli and wounding several others, though damage has been reported to military sites, including airbases and radars.
The Israeli military said on Tuesday its 98th Division had expanded operations in recent days, working alongside the 91st, 36th, 146th and 162nd divisions.
The build-up reflects a gradual increase in troop deployment since 2 March, when at least two divisions began ground operations, later reinforced by additional units.
While Israeli forces have expanded their presence across parts of southern Lebanon, establishing positions in several border areas, they have not fully secured or stabilised these gains, with ongoing clashes indicating continued Hezbollah resistance on the ground.
Israeli officials have framed the deployment as a "defensive" measure aimed at pushing Hezbollah fighters away from the border and preventing anti-tank attacks, while also signalling an intention to establish a so-called buffer zone extending to the Litani River, around 30 kilometres from the frontier.
This objective dates back to 1978 and reflects Israel’s long-standing efforts to expand its own border northwards under the banner of a "buffer zone". It also reflects calls by far-right Israeli officials, including Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, to establish the Litani River as the "new border" of Israel with Lebanon.
Meanwhile, Israeli forces have intensified air strikes across Lebanon, issuing evacuation warnings to residents in dozens of southern towns and targeting areas in Beirut and its outskirts, as well as infrastructure, including bridges and key routes in the south and western Bekaa.
At the same time, Hezbollah has maintained sustained operational activity, announcing 52 operations on Tuesday amid continued use of a range of weapons against Israeli forces.
Israeli intelligence assessments cited in Haaretz on Tuesday indicate that Hezbollah continues to operate as an organised military force in southern Lebanon, with a functioning command structure capable of coordinating attacks and adapting tactics.
According to these assessments, the group has used anti-tank missiles, indirect fire rockets, explosive drones and improvised explosive devices, while also carrying out localised attacks against Israeli troops.
The current front lines are reported to extend to areas up to around 10 kilometres north of the Litani River, where Israeli forces are seeking to consolidate their presence. But continued attacks by Hezbollah suggest that the group retains the ability to operate within and beyond these sites, despite the expanded Israeli presence.
The escalation comes amid wider regional tensions, with reports indicating Iran has linked any ceasefire to its war with the US and Israel to a halt in Israeli strikes on Lebanon.
Meanwhile, Israeli reserve commanders have reportedly raised concerns over the absence of a clear exit strategy, with some estimates suggesting Israeli forces could remain in southern Lebanon through the end of 2026 if fighting continues.