Environment Minister Nasser Yassin, who heads the government's disaster management unit, said some options have been outlined for shelters, including setting up pre-fab homes on public land.

This is the first time such a proposal has been floated in nearly a year of cross-border fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, which escalated dramatically last month. The year of violence has prompted some 1.2 million people to flee their homes.

France’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced Wednesday that Paris will host an international conference on October 24 to help mobilize humanitarian aid for Lebanon.

Amid the rising tensions in the Middle East, Turkey on Wednesday sent two navy ships to Lebanon to evacuate 2,000 Turkish citizens and family members. Between 13,000 and14,000 Turkish citizens are living and working in Lebanon.

Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly said Wednesday that current indications suggest the war in Lebanon could continue for a long time. He warned that if a wider conflict breaks out in the region, Egypt could have to switch to a “wartime economy.”