Lebanon Toll Reaches 217 Killed, 798 Wounded; PM Warns of Humanitarian Disaster

The Lebanese health ministry confirmed that 217 people have been killed and 798 wounded in Israeli military attacks since the war expanded to Lebanon on Monday March 2. Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam warned that a humanitarian disaster is looming as tens of thousands of people have been forced from their homes by Israeli military evacuation orders and are seeking shelter in other parts of Beirut. Israeli strikes have continued on the Dahiyeh southern suburb of Beirut and on towns in southern Lebanon throughout Day 7. The death toll represents a significant escalation from the 72 killed reported earlier in the day, reflecting intensive strike activity overnight and through the morning. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, called on Lebanon to be treated as a key flashpoint and called for an immediate cessation of hostilities, raising concerns about Israel blanket massive displacement orders for Beirut southern suburbs and their compliance with international humanitarian law.