Thousands try to flee in Lebanon's biggest exodus in nearly 20 years as Israel continues bombarding Hezbollah targets and UN meets today to warn 'our world is heading off the rails'

Israel's brutal bombardment of targets across Lebanon has prompted a mass exodus with tens of thousands of citizens fleeing their homes yesterday even as IDF bombs continued to fall overnight. Smokes rise, amid ongoing cross-border hostilities between Hezbollah and Israeli forces, in Tyre, southern Lebanon September 23, 2024 Cars sit in traffic as they flee the southern villages amid ongoing Israeli airstrikes, in Sidon, Lebanon, Monday, Sept. 23, 2024 A traffic jam clogs up a street in the Lebanese city of Sidon on September 23, 2024 A fire burns inside a building, amid cross-border hostilities between Hezbollah and Israeli forces, in Taalbaiya, Bekaa Governorate, Lebanon Volunteers assist an elderly man as people who fled southern Lebanon villages arrive at a makeshift shelter at an educational institution in Beirut, Lebanon, 23 September 2024 Israeli Iron Dome air defense system fires to intercept rockets that were launched from Lebanon, as seen from Haifa, northern Israel, Monday, Sept. 23, 2024 Photo taken on Sept. 23, 2024 shows fires caused by rockets attacks from Lebanon, near Safed, in northern Israel Terrifying footage shows a huge explosion erupting, with people heard screaming in the background A person films from a rooftop in Lebanon as airstrikes approach where they are standing Lebanon's health ministry put yesterday's death toll at 492 people, including 35 children and 58 women, with 1,645 people injured - a staggering one-day toll for a country still reeling from a deadly attack on Hezbollah communication devices last week. Smoke rises from Israeli airstrikes on villages in the Nabatiyeh district on Monday, Sep 23 Emergency responders gather at the site of an Israeli strike on Beirut's southern suburbs People who fled their villages in southern Lebanon are received at an art institute transformed to a place for receiving persons displaced by conflict, in Beirut Lebanese people flee with their cars from southern Lebanon towards Sidon and Beirut, at Zahrani-Nabatieh road, in Ghazieh, southern Lebanon, 23 September Israel's Iron Dome anti-missile system engages as rockets are launched from Lebanon Smoke billows along the border between Israel and Lebanon following Israeli strikes, today A ranger works to extinguish a fire after a rocket fired from Lebanon hit an open field in northern Israel on Monday The scope of Israel's bombing campaigns was wide-ranging and focused on a variety of targets across the south and east of the country. Lebanese citizens who fled the southern villages amid ongoing Israeli airstrikes Monday, sit on their cars at a highway that links to Beirut city, in the southern port city of Sidon, Lebanon, Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024 Smoke from heavy Israeli air raids billows from the southern Lebanese Marjayoun Terrain Smoke billows over southern Lebanon following Israeli strikes, amid ongoing cross-border hostilities between Hezbollah and Israeli forces, as seen from Tyre, southern Lebanon September 24, 2024 Lebanese people who fled from southern Lebanon stay in their cars, at Martyrs' Square in Beirut, Lebanon, 24 September 2024 Lebanese citizens who fled the southern villages amid ongoing Israeli airstrikes Monday, sit on their cars at a highway that links to Beirut city, in the southern port city of Sidon, Lebanon, Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024 The rapidly escalating conflict between Israel and Hezbollah and the wider security landscape of the Middle East will undoubtedly be among the top talking points at the UN General Assembly in the US this week - the theme of which appears to be crisis aversion. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian shakes hands with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres as they pose for a photo prior to their meeting on the sidelines of the 79th UN General Assembly at United Nations Headquarters in New York, United States on September 23, 2024 Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian speaks at the Summit of the Future on the sidelines of the 79th UN General Assembly at United Nations Headquarters in New York UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaks during "Summit of the Future" on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, September 22, 2024 Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky speaks during the 'Summit of the Future' being held in advance of this week's General Debate of the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly Monday's evacuation warnings to Lebanese citizens were the first of their kind in nearly a year of steadily escalating conflict and came after a particularly heavy exchange of fire Sunday.