The rubble of destroyed buildings is piled up in the village of Zebqine, South Lebanon, on Nov. 27, 2024. (Credit: AFP/Anwar Amro)
On Thursday, a day after the cease-fire between Hezbollah and Israel was announced, the Lebanese Ministry of Health reported a provisional toll of 3,961 killed and 16,520 injured. This includes 78 people killed and 266 injured on Tuesday alone, the day before the cease-fire.
Among the victims on the last day of fighting, 28 killed and 75 injured were reported in Baalbeck-Hermel, eight killed and 18 injured in the Bekaa, two killed and 28 injured in Nabatieh, 18 killed and 61 injured in southern Lebanon, one killed and 11 injured in Mount Lebanon, 18 killed and 67 injured in Beirut, one killed and three injured in North Lebanon, and 2 killed and three injured in Akkar.
The toll continues to rise, the ministry noted in its statement, as new victims are being found in the rubble since the start of the cease-fire.
The Ministry of Health also announced that it has launched a review of all data to account for victims found under the debris and those identified through DNA testing. A collaboration with hospitals is underway to ensure the figures are as accurate as possible. A final report on the total number of victims will be published.
The war between Israel and Hezbollah began on Oct. 8, 2023, but escalated sharply in September, plunging into a grim two-month period of total war marked by particularly heavy bloodshed.
