Damascus, Sep 30 (IANS): More than 52,000 Lebanese citizens have fled to Syria since the escalation of Israeli military action in Lebanon last week, local media reported on Monday.

The Al-Watan Online, citing a source from Syria's General Directorate of Migration and Passports, stated that alongside the influx of Lebanese refugees, approximately 125,000 Syrians have also returned to their homeland during the same period.

On Monday alone, 3,500 Lebanese and 16,000 Syrian returnees crossed the border, although the official emphasised that these statistics are not yet final, Xinhua news agency reported.

The rising tensions and conflict in Lebanon have compelled many Lebanese families to seek refuge in Syria, while displaced Syrians living in Lebanon are choosing to return to their war-torn country amid deteriorating conditions.

Tensions between Hezbollah and Israel have sharply escalated following Israel's shift in military focus from Gaza to the northern front, intensifying clashes that began on Oct. 8, 2023, when Hezbollah launched rocket attacks on Israel in solidarity with Hamas, prompting retaliatory strikes in Lebanon.