Lebanese nationals who are currently living in the United States will be eligible for Temporary Protected Status, the Department of Homeland Security announced Thursday.

The ability to remain in the country and request work authorization is being granted because of the ongoing armed conflict in Lebanon, the department said.

Fighting along the Lebanese border with Israel had been simmering for the past year in the wake of Hamas' Oct. 7 attack on Israel -- the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah said it was out of solidarity with the with the Palestinian people -- but the conflict has intensified over the last month in the aftermath of the detonation of thousands of handheld pagers across Lebanon. Hezbollah accused Israel of being behind the attack, which the country has neither confirmed nor denied.

The two countries have been exchanging attacks ever since, killing more than 1,700 people and displacing 1.2 million in the country north of Israel.

The TPS designation for Lebanese nationals will last 18 months “due to ongoing armed conflict and extraordinary and temporary conditions in Lebanon that prevent nationals of Lebanon from returning in safety,” the department said in a statement.

“Those approved for TPS will be able to remain in the country while the United States is in discussions to achieve a diplomatic resolution for lasting stability and security across the Israel-Lebanon border.”

TPS is available to Lebanese nationals who have been living in the United States continuously since Oct. 16, 2024. Lebanese nationals who arrived in the U.S. after that are not eligible.

As part of a Special Student Relief program, Lebanese students in the United States may also request employment authorization, work more hours while school is in session and reduce their course load through a Deferred Enforced Departure Action valid through January 25, 2026.  

DHS estimates 11,000 Lebanese nationals are eligible for TPS and Deferred Enforced Departure, along with 1,740 students.