Islamic Relief strongly condemns today’s deadly attacks on civilians in Lebanon and calls on world leaders to take urgent action to stop further escalation.

Today’s Israeli bombing has caused by far the deadliest day in Lebanon since the crisis began almost a year ago. The death toll is rising rapidly but so far more than 180 people are reported killed and over 700 wounded, including children and many other civilians. Hundreds of Israeli airstrikes have torn through residential areas and families are fleeing the south of the country in terror.

The Israeli military’s announcement for civilians in parts of Beirut and southern Lebanon to leave their homes is a horrifying echo of the orders we have seen issued repeatedly in Gaza before large-scale attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure there. Ordering people to leave their homes does not absolve Israel of its obligation under international law to protect civilians, including people who cannot leave or choose not to leave.  

Akram Sadeq Ali, Islamic Relief’s Country Director in Lebanon, says: “There is mass panic, families here are terrified and they don’t know what to do or where to go. Civilians and civilian infrastructure such as homes, hospitals and schools must never be a target and must be protected at all times. Young children are among those killed by the bombs, and any further escalation will be absolutely disastrous for civilians.”  

This latest escalation is likely to force many more families from their homes. More than 116,000 people in Lebanon have already been displaced over the past year and many are now in desperate need of aid. At least 24,000 residential buildings have been badly damaged or completely destroyed.   

The escalation comes as much of the population in Lebanon struggles to cope with the fallout from a years-long economic crisis, which has forced many families into poverty.  

Since tensions escalated in the region last October, Islamic Relief has helped almost 30,000 people affected by the crisis with food parcels, hygiene kits, blankets and mattresses, and has provided thousands of items of medical supplies for hospitals and primary healthcare clinics. The charity is supporting displaced families and local host communities in Nabatieh, Tyre, Bekaa and Balbek, where most of the recently displaced people have been seeking refuge.   

Islamic Relief has been working in Lebanon since 2006, supporting communities through war, displacement and the current crises.  

One year on from the most powerful earthquake ever recorded in Morocco, many survivors are still struggling to rebuild and recover and need ongoing support, Islamic Relief says. Thousands of families in remote and mountainous rural communities still lack adequate shelter and essential services, and damaged infrastructure such as homes and schools need to be rebuilt.

Working with local partners and local authorities, over the past year, Islamic Relief has supported over 120 affected villages in Al Haouz and Chichawa provinces, providing over 65,000 people with aid such as food, winter survival clothing, and hygiene kits, as well as constructing two temporary schools and setting up mobile health caravans. These caravans provide some of the most remote communities with general medicine, pediatrics, dermatology, cardiology, and other vital care.

The 6.8 magnitude earthquake, which struck central Morocco on 8 September 2023, affected 2.8 million people and killed almost 3,000. It destroyed nearly 19,000 homes, damaged 60,000 others, and flattened at least 580 schools, as well as hospitals and other essential infrastructure. The destruction displaced around 500,000 people.

A year later, some families continue to live in makeshift shelters and tents and now face a second winter of homelessness. Their tents are exposed to the elements of the Atlas Mountains, where temperatures often drop below freezing. Islamic Relief has begun building 300 new homes so that people can have protection and privacy.

Many people lost their jobs as well as their homes, and communities require long-term support. Islamic Relief is committed to supporting people to rebuild their livelihoods so they can earn a reliable living and provide for their families.

Earthquake survivor Fatima* recalls: “I was sleeping when the earthquake struck. My daughter woke me up, terrified and panicked. She was extremely frightened and ran away. Then I noticed the ceiling of the room collapsing, and the wall next to me fell until I was trapped under the rubble. When I regained consciousness, only my daughter’s fingers were showing under the rubble. Thankfully we were rescued and are now fine, thank God, and thanks to the benevolent people who helped us. [Islamic Relief] have donated food, drinks, and utensils.”

Ghassen Alimi, Islamic Relief’s Head of Mission in Morocco, says: “The humanitarian needs were enormous in the wake of the earthquake, and there continue to be significant needs on year on. Thousands of those impacted in the Atlas Mountains are still suffering the consequences of the earthquake and need our continued support to help them rebuild. In the initial aftermath we faced great challenges because the destruction of important infrastructure and roads made it difficult to reach mountainous communities. But, thanks to the generosity of supporters all over the world, over the past year we have distributed vital aid such as food, blankets, mattresses and hygiene materials, and established health caravans so that rural families can access healthcare. We are committed to standing with these communities as they rebuild and recover.”

A year on, the people of Morocco are still piecing their lives back together. The reconstruction programme is costly and complex, and with Morocco particularly susceptible to natural disasters, there is a need for increased investment in building community resilience.

Islamic Relief’s response in Morocco is being done in close partnership with local Moroccan organisations, Al Mobadara Association and At Tawassol.

Islamic Relief is horrified at the massacre of dozens of civilians at one of the school shelters where we have been distributing daily hot meals to displaced families.  

Today’s attack at al-Tabeen school in Gaza City is the deadliest on a school shelter yet, with reports of 80-100 people killed and many more injured as Israeli missiles tore through classrooms and the prayer room during dawn Fajr prayers. Around 2,000 young children, women and men have been sheltering at the school after the Israeli military ordered them to leave their homes. The nearest hospital is overwhelmed with casualties, with many badly burnt or bleeding severely from shrapnel wounds, and it does not have the medical supplies to treat them all. 

We are horrified but we are no longer shocked by such massacres, as Israel continues to bomb people’s shelters almost daily with complete impunity and disregard for international law. 85% of all schools in Gaza (477 out of 564) have now been damaged by bombing.   

Tufail Hussain, Director of Islamic Relief UK, says: “It is appalling that yet another school where families have been told to go, and where they hoped they could find some food and refuge, has been bombed. Our staff and local partners have been working tirelessly to provide food to people in this school shelter and are heartbroken at the death and destruction this morning. People in Gaza have become moving targets. Israel’s policy of constantly forcing civilians to move from one place to another, then denying them aid and attacking the schools and camps where they are ordered to go is completely inhumane.” 

The school is one of many across Gaza where Islamic Relief and partner agencies have been providing daily cooked meals to families – often the only meal they get to eat each day as famine conditions and starvation have spread. Islamic Relief has also conducted psychosocial activities such as games and entertainment for displaced children at the school. No Islamic Relief staff or partners were present at the time of the bombing. 

This latest massacre brings the death toll in Gaza to almost 40,000 Palestinians, with around 92,000 injured. An astounding 1 in every 17 people in Gaza has now been killed or wounded in just over 10 months, with every single person affected.  

Tens of thousands more people have been ordered to move yet again over the past few days, with the Israeli military herding people into small areas that are now extremely overcrowded and rife with starvation and disease. Many families have now been displaced 9 or 10 times over the past 10 months and the amount of aid being allowed into Gaza has reduced to little more than a trickle.   

The international community has completely failed the people of Gaza. World leaders must use all the pressure they can to demand an immediate ceasefire and an end to the constant forced displacement and attacks on fleeing civilians, and ensure accountability for such actions.   

Please help us to continue our vital work supporting people in desperate need in Gaza, donate now.