Anxiety and apprehension in Beirut as fears of an Israeli invasion loom
Under the incessant and unsettling sound of Israeli drones overhead, a tense and cloudy atmosphere reigns over the Lebanese capital Beirut as the city contends with the hundreds of thousands of people who have sought refuge on its streets, squares and beach in the past few days.
The city's streets are packed with parked cars belonging to people fleeing the southern suburbs, commonly known as Dahiyeh, and other areas of the country. With nowhere to go, many families are sleeping in their cars.
"There is a lot of overcrowding here," said Ali Abbas, a Palestinian resident of Beirut's Tarik el-Jdideh neighbourhood.
A Palestinian refugee from Syria, Abbas deplores the situation he finds himself in, having fled the war and Syria and fearing he might have to escape again once Israeli soldiers launch their ground invasion of Lebanon.
"For the sake of my children, if there is a big ground invasion, we will have to move somewhere else," he said.
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Israel stated on Monday that it had approved plans for what it called a "limited" ground operation in Lebanon, sparking fears among many that it may have wider plans for the country.
On Tuesday, Israeli gave orders to residents of many southern Lebanese towns to leave their homes and stay above the Awali river, some 60km away from the border and around 30km above the Litani river, where Israeli initially said it wanted Hezbollah to withdraw.
In Tarik al-Jdide, where many displaced Lebanese from the south, the east and Dahieh sought shelter, the feeling of safety got shattered when an Israeli drone strike hit a building in Beirut’s crowded Cola roundabout on Sunday, right next to the neighbourhood.
"Our feeling of security has faded," said Abbas, echoing fears many are feeling at the moment.
"The Israeli army is scary, we are very scared of them," said Dalal, who had to escape her southern town of Kfar Rumman when Israel launched its deadly bombing campaign across Lebanon on 23 September.
Dalal's home was destroyed and her relatives' home in Dahiyeh, where she and her family initially sought shelter, was bombed a week later.
Now, they live on the staircase of central Beirut's Mohammed al-Amin Mosque, relying on aid packages to survive and fearing for what might happen next.
Should Israel invade she said, "we prepare ourselves to flee, that's it."
"If Sayyed is gone, what will protect us?” she added, referring to Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed in a massive Israeli attack on Dahiyeh on Friday.
Hezbollah says that despite the heavy losses it suffered over recent weeks, losing most of its senior leadership and having hundreds of its members seriously injured in the pagers attack, it remains prepared to face any Israeli invasion of Lebanese territory.
'We will defeat the Israelis'
Despite the fear, many remain confident in Hezbollah's ability to withstand and push back an Israeli invasion.
"They will not dream of entering Lebanon," said Safaa, who fled Dahiyeh and is now sleeping on Beirut’s corniche pavement.
Safaa and her family currently rely on food donations from people while using the local cafe to go to the bathroom.
Had it not been for her sick mother, she says she would have stayed in Dahiyeh despite the attacks.
"I am not scared," she said. "We will defeat the Israelis."
"Just like Sayyed told us: 'Patience'," she added, referring to what Nasrallah used to often tell his followers.
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