Some 13,500 Syrians have left Lebanon for Syria since the start of Israeli airstrikes on Monday, the Lebanese interior minister said on Thursday.
"There are 13,500 Syrians who left Lebanon to return to Syria," Bassam Mawlawi told a press conference in Beirut.
Lebanon hosts 1.8 million Syrian refugees, about 900,000 of whom are registered with the UN refugee agency (UNHCR).
Mawlawi said around 70,100 people have taken refuge in 533 shelters in Lebanon due to the ongoing Israeli attacks.
“There are shelters also in the Bekaa region in eastern Lebanon designated for Syrians,” he added.
Israel has pounded Lebanon since Monday morning, killing at least 640 people and injuring over 2,500 others, according to figures released by the Health Ministry.