Smoke from an Israeli bombardment on the outskirts of the village of Kfar Kila, Tuesday. (Credit: Hassan Fneich/AFP)
On Tuesday, the Lebanese Ministry of Health published its latest assessment of the clashes in southern Lebanon between Hezbollah and Israel. Based on hospital data, it counts a total of 612 casualties by Jan. 9, 2024, including 135 deaths and 109 cases requiring hospitalization.
Of the total number of victims recorded (including deaths and injuries), 92% were men and 96% were Lebanese nationals, with 62% aged between 22 and 44. Of the injuries listed by the Ministry, 44% were due to blunt injuries caused by Israeli bombardment, 33% to exposure to deflagration and 18% to contamination by chemical agents.
The ministry's press release also lists the number of displaced persons in the south since Oct. 8 2023, when hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel began. Until Jan. 4, 2024, 76,018 people had been displaced from south Lebanon.
The report cites the International Organization for Migration (IOM) as a reference.
The document adds that the call center for medical emergencies relating to communicable diseases and displaced persons, on the toll-free number 1787, has already received 461,171 calls in all, including 400 from displaced persons (two in the past week).
These regular assessments published by the ministry are based exclusively on figures from hospitals, while other data are made public by other sources. For example, according to a tally published by L'Orient-Le Jour on Tuesday, the number of Hezbollah fighters killed (in Lebanon and Syria) is already 157.
This article was originally published in L'Orient-Le Jour.