Home » Children and Families in Lebanon are Paying the Highest Price

Children and Families in Lebanon are Paying the Highest Price

May 7, 2026

Aftermath of Israeli strike on Beirut’s Corniche al-Mazraa neighbourhood on 8 April 2026. (IBRAHIM AMRO/AFP via Getty Images).

As Israeli airstrikes continue, Lebanese families and children are paying the highest price – killed or injured, forced from their homes, and living in constant fear.

Since 2 March 2026, Israel has carried out widespread airstrikes across southern Lebanon, Beirut, and the Bekaa Valley, targeting Hezbollah operations and civilian areas alike. According to Lebanon’s Ministry of Public Health, more than 2,696 people have been killed and 8,200 injured [1]. UNICEF reports that at least 172 children have been killed and 661 injured [2]. Over one million people have been displaced, including an estimated 390,000 children. Many have been repeatedly uprooted in conditions that may amount to prolonged forced displacement, raising serious concerns under international humanitarian and human rights law [3].

The scale and pattern of attacks raise serious concerns under international humanitarian law, including the prohibition of disproportionate attacks, obligations to distinguish between civilians and combatants, forced displacement, and the starvation of civilians as a method of warfare.

Recent Events in the Conflict

On 2 March, Hezbollah launched missiles against the Israeli military, in support of Iran and opposition to US-Israeli aggression in the region. Israel responded with extensive strikes across Lebanon, resulting in large-scale civilian casualties and raising concerns regarding proportionality under international humanitarian law.

On 8 April, Israel engaged in a 10-minute bombardment of civilian infrastructure across Lebanon, resulting in massive civilian casualties, including children. The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) reported 303 people killed and 1,150 more wounded [4].

The airstrikes devastated Lebanon’s agricultural sector. With Israeli attacks on the Bekaa Valley, Lebanon’s most important agricultural region, farmland and food production systems have been severely damaged. Lebanon’s Ministry of Agriculture reports that at least 22% of all agricultural land in the country has been damaged since March 2026 [5]. An estimated 961,000 people in Lebanon are projected to face high levels of acute food insecurity by mid-2026 [6].

People inspect the damage where Israel’s military carried out an airborne operation that dropped troops overnight, in the town of Nabi Chit, Lebanon, March 7, 2026. REUTERS/ Mohammad Yassine.

On 18 April, Israeli authorities announced the establishment of a “Yellow Line”, a military zone, in southern Lebanon. Israeli officials say they intend to keep the zone under occupation, reserving the right to strike the area. The civilians living in the 55 towns within the zone have been forcibly evacuated and barred from return by Israel [7].

Organisations like Oxfam have warned that the destruction of Lebanese agricultural systems and essential infrastructure reflects patterns seen in Gaza. Other human rights actors also express concern that the Yellow Line in Lebanon mirrors similar measures in Gaza, with reports stating possible Israeli ethnic cleansing of the Lebanese Shi’a population [4]. Reports from Al Jazeera indicate that the Yellow Line may be a short-term attempt to access offshore oil and a long-term aim to annex the land from Lebanon [7].

Map of the Yellow Line in Lebanon. (Al Jazeera 20 April 2026).

Impact on Children

For children, the consequences are immediate and severe. The destruction of homes, disruption of education, and collapse of essential services are directly impacting their rights to life, education, health, and protection under the Convention on the Rights of the Child, to which Israel is a signatory. Beyond the immediate physical harm, children are experiencing sustained exposure to violence, loss, and displacement, with significant risks of long-term psychosocial trauma.

Here’s what you can do to help

DCI-Lebanon, based in Beirut, is providing emergency support to families and children affected by the violence. Their survival kits include food, blankets, clothing and temporary shelters.

The protection of civilians is not optional. It is a legal obligation under international humanitarian law. The Lebanese people have a right to safety, dignity, and life.

Every donation helps ensure these obligations are translated into life-saving support on the ground.