Recent events in the Middle East have set off a wave of escalating tensions, prompting comparisons to the gravity of the September 11 attacks. This shift in narrative towards religious dimensions has elicited targeted responses, underscoring the dominance of Israeli propaganda on global platforms. In Lebanon, the refugee camps have borne witness to incursions, soldier captures, and the brief reclaiming of Palestinian villages, signifying a momentary victory for residents. However, amidst the initial wave of jubilation, unfounded reports of Israeli child massacres and beheadings circulated, significantly bolstering the Israeli narrative and complicating efforts to rectify the record. This false narrative has culminated in a devastating Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip, leaving a trail of destruction and loss. As hostilities escalate along the Lebanese border, memories of the indiscriminate nature of past conflicts resurface, underscoring the potential consequences of further escalation. The Palestinian refugee population in Lebanon faces mounting challenges, exacerbated by severe funding shortfalls, while Lebanon’s economic crisis further compounds the situation. With internal displacement noted and access to essential supplies becoming increasingly difficult, the vulnerability of both Lebanese citizens and refugees is starkly apparent. Lebanon’s longstanding energy and economic crises only amplify the risks associated with any prolonged conflict. The potential for a humanitarian crisis, similar to the Rafah crossing blockade, looms large, highlighting the precarious situation faced by Palestinian camps in the face of evolving crises.
Escalating Conflict and Disputed Narratives
The world awoke on the seventh of this month to a jarring escalation of conflict, evoking comparisons to the September 11 attacks in New York City. Employing a narrative with religious undertones, the marketing and approach taken by both sides have triggered a series of reactions. Israeli efforts in shaping global perceptions have long eclipsed the Palestinian narrative, effectively contending with Palestinian content on social media and international news platforms.
In Lebanon, the refugee camps were greeted with the reverberations of border incursions, the capture of a substantial number of soldiers, and the temporary reclaiming of certain Palestinian villages, previously home to settlements populated by diverse international groups.
For residents of the camps in Lebanon and across the diaspora, a cherished portion of land has been liberated. Dating back to 1948, the objective of these operations has been clear: securing the release of over 7,000 Palestinian detainees held in occupation prisons and seeking to lift the 17-year siege on the Gaza Strip.
The Humanitarian Crisis: Camps Under Siege and Regional Escalation
Yet, this jubilation was short-lived. The news embraced by the U.S. president regarding the purported massacres of Israeli children and their beheadings was later revealed to be unfounded, devoid of substantiating evidence. Although the White House promptly refuted the president’s statements, this false narrative swiftly circled the globe, garnering alarming viewership rates. Efforts to correct the misinformation have struggled to counterbalance the detrimental impact it had in bolstering the Israeli narrative.
This spurious news, and the U.S. president’s endorsement of it, prompted Israeli leaders to initiate a devastating onslaught in the Gaza Strip, resulting in the direct loss of over 1,000 children’s lives and countless families. Nearly a thousand individuals remain buried under the debris of residential towers, schools, hospitals, makeshift shelters, and even convoys of displaced persons, spanning from the north to the south of the Strip.
Recent days have witnessed numerous attacks along the southern Lebanese border, with reciprocal shelling between Hezbollah and Israeli forces, indicating a potential escalation encompassing the Lebanese theater. Memories of the 2006 war remain vivid, revealing the indiscriminate nature of Israel’s bombardments, as experienced firsthand in Lebanon.
Lebanon’s Dual Crisis: Citizens and Refugees Caught in the Crossfire
Within the reality faced by Palestinian refugees in Lebanon, according to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), two-thirds grapple with unemployment and confront various hazards amidst the agency’s severe funding shortfall over the past two years. This shortfall compelled the agency to scale back essential food, health, and educational support programs within the camps. Coupled with Lebanon’s profound economic crisis and its confluence with other crises, providing any form of assistance under such dire circumstances has become exceedingly challenging.
The security crisis in Ain al-Hilweh camp and the recent skirmishes persist, casting a shadow of internal conflict. Coupled with the looming specter of a broader regional conflict, the delivery of aid has become increasingly untenable, given the expanding pool of potential victims across Lebanese regions.
Lebanese citizens, Palestinians, and nearly two million Syrian refugees in Lebanon confront a dual crisis, given the developments in southern Lebanon and Gaza. Those with means have begun to stockpile essential supplies of food, medicines, and water in preparation for what may come. However, this group is a minority in comparison to the larger population of citizens and refugees who rely on relief programs and social assistance even without the backdrop of an impending war.
Internal displacement has been observed from southern Lebanon to Beirut and other cities, though the inhabitants of camps in the south, such as those in Tyre, located less than 20 kilometers from the border, remain confined to their respective areas.
It is worth noting that Lebanon has grappled with a prolonged shortage of electricity and fuel required for heating and the operation of public facilities, including hospitals. With the collapse of the economic and banking sectors, this nation, which hosts an overwhelming number of refugees exceeding two and a half million, cannot afford a conflict, even one of brief duration, without risking becoming a country in the throes of disaster in every sense. This underscores the precariousness of Palestinian camps, which are the most vulnerable to new developments or crises.
Social work persists in the camps, recognizing that there are no alternative options available. In light of the indirect blockade and U.S. sanctions on shipping in Lebanon, there may be an impending crisis akin to that of the Rafah crossing. Even if some countries manage to prepare and declare their intent to send humanitarian aid to Lebanon, there may be pressure from Lebanese society to share even the most modest forms of this aid with the camps.
Bassam JAMIL – Wavel Camp – Lebanon
Reviewed and edited by Dan ROMEO