More than one million people have been displaced as fighting intensifies in Lebanon, even as much of the world’s attention remains focused on Iran. Israel announced this week that it had begun a ground incursion into southern Lebanon, targeting the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah. The group resumed rocket attacks on Israel earlier this month, responding to the killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Sirens and explosions are heard daily across Lebanon, both in the south and in the capital.
The Israeli army this week warned residents of the southern Lebanese city of Tyre to evacuate immediately, anticipating widespread strikes in the region.
The number of displaced people across the country is rising rapidly, exceeding one million.
Strikes are similarly impacting the capital, Beirut.
“Our organization, where I am, is currently staying put and providing assistance to hundreds of families, providing shelter, food, medicine, and other daily necessities. Many of these people arrive from Christian backgrounds, and of course, we personally realize a large portion of them. And the hardest thing about this war is the uncertainty of how long it will last, and logically, people need food and a safe place to stay every day,” said Krista Bētiņa-Kašu, a Latvian resident of Lebanon who works with the Revival Church.
“The situation is quite difficult right now. We hear drones over our heads every day. And it has actually been happening constantly for the last two years, and since the actual war started two weeks ago, we hear warplanes over our heads day and night,” Bētiņa-Kašu commented on the unfolding situation.
Warnings about strikes often provide very little time to gather belongings. There is also no certainty as to when it will be safe to return home.
“Usually, those warnings are given about 15 minutes in advance. And often in relation to a specific building and its surroundings. Although, some attacks also occur without any warning, especially at night and if the target is a specific, individual person,” she said.
While strikes are primarily focused on areas associated with Hezbollah, tension is felt constantly. Bētiņa-Kašu lives approximately a 20-minute drive from where most of the attacks are taking place.
“Neither side is acting in the interests of Lebanon, and the population is caught between these two forces that are fighting.
And, in my opinion, weapons should be in the hands of the state army and no one else. And what I would like to add – war has never solved anything. Peace cannot be achieved through violence. People are dying, and entire generations are being affected and destroyed, and the entire region is realistically moving backwards,” Bētiņa-Kašu said.
According to local authorities, 1,001 people have been killed in Israeli strikes on Lebanon since March 2nd, including approximately 100 children. Israeli attacks repeatedly shook Beirut on Thursday as well.
Meanwhile, the terrorist group Hezbollah announced that it had destroyed six Israeli tanks in the south and launched several rockets into Israel.
CONTEXT:
Armed conflict has been ongoing in the Middle East since February 28th, beginning after strikes by the US and Israel against Iran. The armed conflict has affected many countries in the region, as Iran has retaliated against US allies.
The goal of the US and Israel is to achieve regime change in Iran, where an Islamic fundamentalist regime has been in power since 1979. During the strikes on February 28th, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and a number of other officials were killed, though the Tehran regime does not intend to surrender. Iranian media confirmed the death.
On March 8th, the son of the slain Khamenei, 56-year-vintage Mojtaba Khamenei, was appointed as the new Supreme Leader of Iran.
Iran has fired rockets and drones at Israel, as well as US military bases in the Persian Gulf region. This conflict has also shaken the world economy: thousands of flights have had to be canceled, tourists are stranded abroad, and oil prices are rising. A blockade of the Strait of Hormuz has significantly hampered international trade.
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