GENEVA, October 15. /TASS/. Israel's military evacuation orders apply to more than a quarter of Lebanese territory, UN refugee agency’s Middle East Director Rema Jamous Imseis said.

"Now we have over 25% of the country under a direct Israeli military evacuation order," she said at a news conference in Geneva. "People are heeding these calls to evacuate, and they're fleeing with almost nothing."

She said another 20 villages in southern Lebanon received such orders on October 14. According to the UN official, there are now more than 1 million displaced people in the country, whose total population is estimated at 5 million people.

Jamous Imseis described the situation as dramatic, as many of the refugees have to spend the nights without a shelter.

"The needs are immense. They are growing daily," she said. "The only way this nightmare will end is if we have a ceasefire."

On September 23, Israel started a military operation codenamed Northern Arrows against Hezbollah in Lebanon, carrying out widespread strikes at the group’s military sites. The stated goal is to create a secure environment in areas near the Israeli northern border, so that tens of thousands of people could return to their homes.

In a strike on September 27 Israel eliminated Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut. Overnight into October 1, Israel announced the start of a ground operation in the border areas of southern Lebanon.