BEIRUT — The Lebanese Ministry of Health published its latest assessment of the fighting in southern Lebanon between Hezbollah and Israel on Tuesday. Based on hospital data, it counts a total of 650 casualties from Oct. 8, when hostilities began, until Tuesday, when the figures were released. The casualties include 147 deaths and 114 cases requiring hospitalization.

Of the total number of victims recorded (both deaths and injuries), 92 percent were men and 96 percent were Lebanese nationals, with more than 60 percent aged between 25 and 44. Of the injuries listed by the ministry, 44 percent were due to blunt trauma caused by Israeli bombardment, 33 percent to blast injuries and 18 percent to chemical exposure.

The ministry's press release also states that since Oct. 8, 82,012 people have been displaced from southern Lebanon due to the ongoing cross-border fighting there. The report cites the International Organization for Migration (IOM) as a reference.

These regular assessments published by the Ministry of Health are based exclusively on hospital figures, while other data are made public by other sources. For example, according to a tally published by L'Orient Today on Tuesday, the number of Hezbollah fighters killed (in Lebanon and Syria) is already 158.