Since the beginning of Israel’s massive aerial campaign on Lebanon, which was launched last week, some 1,000 people have fled the country to neighbouring Syria.

The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) said on Monday that some 60 per cent of them are believed to be Syrian refugees who previously fled to Lebanon amid the civil war that broke out in their home country in 2011.

About 40per cent were estimated to be Lebanese, the Geneva-based agency said.

Following Israeli bombardment on Beirut, which killed the leader of Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, on Friday, the number of refugees arriving at the northwestern border has increased.

The number of refugees arriving at the northwestern border to cross near the Syrian city of Homs has doubled, according to the UN.

It said most people are fleeing across the border, crossing some 70 kilometres southwest of Beirut near Damascus.

Many people spent several days waiting at the border crossing before Syria waived the exchange of $100 normally required of each Syrian when entering Syria, the UN said.

According to the statement, that rule has now been lifted for one week, helping to ease the situation.

“UNHCR and its partners continue to scale up assistance for the new arrivals, distributing relief items, food, and water, among others, to those arriving at the border crossings,’’ it said.

Some 60 per cent of those crossing the border are minors, according to the UN.

About 1.5 million Syrian refugees were estimated to be living in Lebanon before the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah escalated last week.

(dpa/NAN)