Lebanese turn to sonic boom banter for light relief from Israeli jets

As clashes between Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah remain ongoing, sonic booms have become a regular occurrence in many parts of Lebanon, with Israeli jets breaking the sound barrier over south Lebanon, Beirut, and its surroundings.

The sound caused by the jets resemble that of an explosion and is believed to be part of Israel's psychological warfare against the people of Lebanon.

The sonic booms have intensified in Beirut since Israel’s assassination of a top Hezbollah commander in the capital’s southern suburb, prompting locals to regularly text each other and compare the intensity of the sounds whenever they occur.

However, as people have got used to the sound of sonic booms, the jets that are meant to frighten them are being taken less seriously.

Recently, a new website called jidarsot.com has been created, where people from across Lebanon can leave a quick review of the sonic booms they have experienced. “Jidar sot” means sound barrier in Arabic.

“Almost a 5/10 just because the pressure hurt my ears,” wrote one user from the southern Nabatieh governorate.

“It's like they're not even trying anymore. They lost passion,” said another user from Beirut about a relatively weak sonic boom they heard on Monday.

For many, what was once a major source of fear has turned into an opportunity to share jokes and try to ridicule Israel’s attempts at instilling fear.

“The sound of my husband’s farts is louder than today’s sonic boom,” read one reviewer, who gave it a 1/10.

Other users have used the website to share messages to their lovers.

“You hear the sonic boom but not my voice note? Reply to me on WhatsApp,” wrote one person from Beirut.

“Aline unblock me, I know you are reading this,” said another, hinting at the website’s popularity, as Lebanese across the country visit it to share some laughs.

The website comes after a month of heightened tensions between Israel and Hezbollah.

Israel blamed Hezbollah for a missile strike that killed 12 youngsters in the occupied Golan Heights in late July, which the Lebanese group has denied responsibility for.

Israel then assassinated Fuad Shukr, a top Hezbollah commander, in a strike south of Beirut, and Hezbollah vowed retaliation.

Sunday saw the two come close to breaking point, as Israel launched a series of overnight strikes on Lebanon before Hezbollah fired hundreds of rockets and drones into Israel in what it called the “first phase” of the retaliation.

Tensions seem to have returned to what they were prior to the Beirut strike, with contained clashes and occasional sound barrier breaks from Israel.

While a broader war may have been averted for now, no future is certain without the signing of a ceasefire deal in Gaza, which Hezbollah says is the only thing that would make it stop clashing with Israel.

As uncertainty reigns, people in Lebanon find comfort and humour in visiting the sonic boom website.

One reviewer in the south gave the sound a 9/10 but said the sonic boom “needed a bit of spice”.