Norway aid group says Israeli strikes have displaced 300,000 in Lebanon

Aid agency the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) said Friday that 300,000 people in Lebanon had been forced to flee after Israel launched a wave of evacuation orders and airstrikes.

The aid agency also questioned the legality of the mass-evacuation orders Israel had issued there.

The orders cover hundreds of villages in South Lebanon, as well as villages in the Bekaa region and the southern suburbs of Beirut, constituting a large area of Lebanese territory.

It added that the number of people who might be displaced could potentially exceed one million.

"Israel's evacuation orders demanding civilians leave multiple areas of Lebanon raise serious concerns under international humanitarian law, which prohibits the forcible transfer of civilian populations," the NRC said.

"These orders do not appear to have military justification and provide no guarantee of safe passage or support for those fleeing and compound the suffering of hundreds of thousands of families."

The organization insisted that civilians be protected, including those who choose to remain or are not able to relocate.

Lebanon's health ministry said Friday at least 217 people had been killed and 798 wounded since the start of a new war between Israel and Hezbollah on Monday.

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam warned Friday that "a humanitarian disaster is looming" due to mass displacement.