NEW YORK, October 10. /TASS/. The number of people displaced by the escalation of the conflict between Israel and Lebanon’s Shia group Hezbollah has reached almost one million, The New York Times reported, citing UN figures.

According to its information, more than 900,000 Lebanese have been forced to leave their homes, of whom some 600,000 remain in the country and 300,000 have fled abroad. Against this background, the newspaper recalled that the total population of Lebanon is about 5.4 million people. In addition, The New York Times pointed out that about half of Lebanon's public schools have been turned into temporary shelters. The newspaper said that spontaneous camps for displaced people are also being set up "in parks, unfinished buildings and at least one nightclub."

On September 23, Israel launched Operation Northern Arrows against Hezbollah units in Lebanon, during which it is carrying out massive airstrikes against the movement’s military facilities. The stated goal is to create secure conditions in Israel’s northern border areas so that tens of thousands of residents can return there. As a result of one of the strikes, Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah was eliminated in Beirut on September 27. The organization confirmed his death and vowed to continue its confrontation with Israel. In the early morning hours of October 1, the Israeli army announced the start of a ground operation in the border areas in southern Lebanon.