Beirut, Sept. 24, (dpa/GNA) – Thousands of families who fled southern Lebanon after deadly Israeli airstrikes have filled hotels across the capital Beirut, waiting for whatever comes next.
“We escaped with only the clothes on our back and our essentials in a small bag, and my brother who lives abroad booked two rooms for us in a hotel,” Fatima Ezzeddine told dpa on Tuesday.
On Monday, Ezzeddine spent 10 hours on a jammed highway linking southern Lebanon with Beirut.
“The airstrikes targeted a building next to our house in Housh, near Tyre, and the house received massive damage and some people were killed and injured in our building,” she said.
People escaping the strikes in southern Lebanon were still flocking into the capital on Tuesday, with traffic jams leading into the south of Beirut.
Many of the drivers looked drawn, and appeared in shock after the sudden attack by Israel, the biggest in decades.
“I do not know where I am heading yet. The most important thing is that I got my family out from south Lebanon,” Ali, a father of four, told dpa as drove into the city on Tuesday.
Other residents were handing out water and juice to the cars stuck on the road, with temperatures nearing 30 degrees Celsius.
The Israeli operation targeted areas of Lebanon where the Islamist Hezbollah militia is in control, like southern and eastern Lebanon as well as areas in Beirut’s southern suburbs. Several hundred people were killed.
Israel says the strikes were necessary to reduce the imminent threat from Hezbollah attacks on northern Israel.
Ali, a receptionist in Beirut, told dpa his hotel had reached full capacity with the arrival of families from southern Lebanon and Beirut’s southern suburbs. He did not want to name the hotel as he did not have permission to talk to reporters.
Lamis’ family found an apartment to stay in at the last minute, with the help of her sister, who lives in Germany.
“We left our home in Beirut’s southern suburbs on Monday night. My father at first refused to leave but my mum, my sisters and I left and rented a furnished apartment.”
“If we did not have my sister abroad we would have been on the street by now,” she added.
An economic crisis in Lebanon is compounding people’s misery. Despite the emergency situation, many are unable to withdraw money from the bank.
This has made them reliant on family members or relatives living abroad to help them.
“This is a disaster,” Mustafa told dpa. He came from Sidquine, which was badly hit by the airstrikes, and found a room in a Beirut hotel.
“I do not know who to blame, but us citizens are paying a deadly price.”