Lebanon under constant Israeli attack: Civilian toll continues to mount

Report by Nada Andraos, English adaptation by Yasmine Jaroudi

In the first week of November, the toll of Lebanese civilians killed by Israeli airstrikes reached 153 over just five days. 

Since the outbreak of hostilities in mid-September, the total number of casualties has risen to 3,050 dead and 13,658 others injured, with many still buried under rubble. 

The escalation followed the pager explosions on September 17, leading to a sharp rise in violence and casualties. Since then, 2,383 people have been killed, and 12,258 have been wounded. These figures remain incomplete, as Hezbollah has ceased publishing reports on its own casualties.

Hezbollah announced its last official death toll on September 28, reporting 506 people killed since October 8, including high-profile leaders. Among those killed was Sheikh Nabil Qaouk, and other targeted assassinations have claimed leaders such as Sayyed Hashem Safieddine in Beirut's southern suburbs. 

Civilian losses are at an unprecedented level not seen since Lebanon's civil war, with most victims being non-combatants. The violence has intensified since the pager explosions and the assassination of Hezbollah's Secretary-General on September 27.

These grim statistics reflect a brutal new reality where daily life has been transformed, and citizens increasingly feel that Lebanese casualties are reduced to mere numbers in an unrelenting conflict. 

However, these are not just numbers—they are people with history, families, memories, and identities. 

Has Lebanon become a second Gaza, with massacres committed against its people? Can the nation truly accept such a daily loss of life so easily?