Amid relentless Israeli airstrikes, fear and tension grip Lebanon, with hundreds of families fleeing their homes in the south as Israeli forces target Hezbollah-linked areas. The bombardment, which has intensified in recent days, has led to a mass exodus, with cars, trucks, and motorcycles cramming roads as people try to escape northward towards Beirut.
The Israeli military warned civilians near Hezbollah strongholds to evacuate through text messages and voice recordings. Zahra Sawli, a student from Nabatieh in southern Lebanon, described waking up to the sound of explosions. “By noon, it was really intense, and I saw strikes near my home. Many are stuck in traffic trying to flee,” she said.
By midday, highways leading north were packed with vehicles, and the coastal city of Tyre saw smoke rise from nearby airstrikes. Images showed people fleeing on foot along the beaches, carrying their belongings. One family of five, exhausted and cramped on a single motorbike, explained their predicament to the BBC. “We just had to flee,” the father said, overwhelmed.
The ongoing bombardment has claimed the lives of at least 492 people, with over 1,600 injured, according to Lebanon’s health ministry. Children are among the victims, as Israeli forces report launching 1,100 strikes over the last 24 hours. In Beirut, even neighborhoods not traditionally associated with Hezbollah, like Hamra, received warnings to evacuate, prompting panic among residents and parents rushing to schools to pick up their children.
Beirut’s hospitals have canceled non-emergency surgeries in anticipation of casualties. Schools in Beirut, Tripoli, and eastern Lebanon have been converted into shelters for the waves of evacuees. At a school in Bir Hasan, west Beirut, rooms were filled with mattresses, preparing for families fleeing from Hezbollah strongholds in the Bekaa Valley.
Despite the mounting tension, some Beirut residents remain defiant. One man expressed resilience, saying, “If a total war happens, we should stand together as Lebanese, regardless of politics.” Others were resigned to their fate, with one shop owner remarking, “If they want war, what can we do? It was imposed on us.”
As airstrikes continue, and fear spreads across the country, the situation remains dire, leaving many Lebanese to wonder where they can find safety in a nation under siege.
