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Lebanon risks sliding into Gaza-scale humanitarian crisis, Russian ambassador warns

According to Alexander Rudakov, hospitals in Lebanon are struggling as the death toll keeps climbing, and the scope of the crisis cannot be assessed

MOSCOW, September 24. /TASS/. Lebanon is on the verge of a humanitarian crisis similar to the dire situation in the Gaza Strip, Russian Ambassador to Beirut Alexander Rudakov told Rossiya-24 television.

"Lebanon is teetering on the edge of a humanitarian disaster, much like what the Gaza Strip is facing. The instigator of this tragedy is the same in both cases," the Russian diplomat said.

According to Rudakov, hospitals in Lebanon are struggling as the death toll keeps climbing, and the scope of the crisis cannot be assessed.

Tensions between Israel and Hezbollah escalated further after a wave of wireless communications device explosions rocked Lebanon on September 17 and 18. The Lebanese group blamed the blasts on Israel. While Israeli officials have not yet commented on the developments, they announced intensifying its military operation in the North before Israel delivered air strikes on southern Lebanon and also attacked Beirut. Later, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant said the Jewish state was expanding its attacks on Hezbollah military targets, rocket storage facilities and commanders across Lebanon. The Lebanese death toll from Israeli attacks has climbed to over 490, with more than 1,600 people being wounded, the Arab republic’s Health Ministry said.