Levant in March 2026: the most important developments in society
In the Levant in March 2026, the war between Israel and Hezbollah put Lebanese civilians at the center of the news. Reports said over half a million people had been displaced within a week, and the UN put the number above 800,000 on 11 March and above one million on 18 March. The Red Cross warned of a humanitarian crisis, evacuees in Beirut were reported to be sleeping in tents and cars, and a stadium in the city became a shelter. On 13 March the UN launched a major appeal for Lebanon, warning the country was heading toward disaster, and on 18 March it said a classroom of children was killed or injured every day. The World Health Organization sent its first overland aid convoy to Beirut on 21 March.
Human Rights Watch said on 9 March that Israel was unlawfully using white phosphorus munitions in residential areas of Lebanon. Inside Lebanon, some residents called Hezbollah's actions 'self-destructive' and 'suicidal', and the group was described as increasingly isolated at home.
In Syria, displaced Lebanese and Syrian refugees crossed the border, and some Syrians returned to ruined homes. Thousands rallied in Daraa on 18 March for the 15th anniversary of the Syrian revolution. Syrian authorities' new limits on alcohol sales in Damascus drew a backlash, and a transport crisis continued on the Syria-Jordan border.
by WorldBrief & Maksim Micheliov | AI-generated summary
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