MORE than 400,000 of Lebanon’s children have been displaced in the past three weeks by Israel’s war, the United Nations’ children’s agency has warned.

Unicef deputy executive director for humanitarian actions Ted Chaiban said on Monday that displaced children were crammed into overcrowded shelters, with three or four families living in classrooms separated by just a plastic sheet.

“As we sit here today, 1.2 million children are deprived of education,” he said, warning of a “lost generation.”

“Their [state] schools have either been rendered inaccessible, have been damaged by the war or are being used as shelters.”

Most displaced children have experienced so much violence, including the sound of shelling or gunfire, that any loud noise makes them cower, Mr Chaiban said.

“We’re at the beginning and already there’s been a profound impact,” he said.

Israel’s war has also put over 100 primary healthcare facilities out of service, while 12 hospitals are either no longer working or only partly functional.

Water infrastructure has also come under attack, with 26 treatment works providing water to almost 350,000 people suffering damage, Mr Chaiban said.

He called for civilian infrastructure to be protected and appealed for a ceasefire in Lebanon and Gaza, saying that there needs to be political will and a realisation that the conflict cannot be resolved through military means.

More than 2,300 people have been killed in Lebanon by Israeli strikes, according to the country’s Health Ministry.

In the last three weeks, over 100 children have been killed and over 800 wounded, Mr Chaiban said.

More than 1.2 million people have been displaced from southern Lebanon, the Beqaa Valley and parts of Beirut, according to Lebanese government figures.

The high number of displacements has overwhelmed welfare services, leaving thousands of people on the streets.

Medical centres and hospitals have warned that the Israeli military has been hitting search and rescue teams, killing and injuring dozens of emergency workers and medics.

The attacks have cut off the south from emergency services and healthcare.

Lebanese media reported that four members of a single family were killed by an Israeli air strike in southern Lebanon, one of several in the region today.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed on Monday night that Israel would continue strikes against Hezbollah “without mercy,” including attacks targeting Beirut.