Israel-Iran latest: Hezbollah war would leave Lebanon desperate for aid as Gaza families flee Khan Younis

A war between Hezbollah and Israel would leave Lebanon struggling to meet even a fraction of its aid needs, a senior minister has warned amid fears of an escalation in the Middle East.

Israel has intensified its attacks in Gaza this week, with tanks moving back into the city of Khan Younis on Friday, as the region braces for Iran and Hezbollah to retaliate over the killing of two top commanders in Tehran and Beirut .

Lebanon has already received just a third of the $74m it has sought in aid since the Gaza war began. But were war to break out, it would require as much as $100m every month for for shelter, food, healthcare and other needs, warned Nasser Yassin, the minister overseeing contingency planning.

Meanwhile, fighting intensified in Gaza as families fled from parts of the Strip’s second-largest city following an evacuation order issued by Israel’s military.

In Gaza City, around 15 people were killed after Israel bombed two schools being used to shelter displaced people in the northern Gaza Strip, Palestinian Civil Defence said. Israel’s military said that the attacks were intended to destroy Hamas “command-and-control centres” inside the school compounds.