Civilians pay heavy price as war in Lebanon drives death, displacement, UN says

Civilians are paying a heavy price as the war in Lebanon continues to expand, driving death, injuries and displacement the United Nations said on Tuesday.

"Displacement is increasing incredibly quickly. Right now, hundreds of thousands of people left their homes. Many leaving with very little, just the clothes they were wearing," said the UN Humanitarian Coordinator Imran Riza.

On Tuesday, UN human rights office asserted that Israeli air strikes on residential buildings in Lebanon raised international law concerns.

"Israeli air strikes have destroyed entire residential buildings in dense urban environments with multiple members of the same family, including women and children often killed together," UN human rights office spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheetan told reporters in Geneva.

"Such attacks raise concerns under international humanitarian law." 

The Lebanese Ministry of Health announced that the number of victims of Israeli raids on Lebanon since March 2 has risen to 912 dead and 2,221 wounded, while 800,000 people have been forced from their homes.

Almost a fifth of people living in Lebanon are now registered as displaced, according to Lebanese government figures, with displacement set to increase, the UN said.