It was one of those nights in Lebanon where sleep was a luxury. Under the midnight stars on Thursday, Israeli aggression rained down again, this time sending tremors through the hearts of Beirut’s residents. The latest airstrikes slammed into Ouzai, merely a stone’s throw, or should we say 150 meters, from the buzzing Beirut Rafik Hariri International Airport.
Can you imagine? Some poor soul working at the airport captured the ordeal with their camera phone, the footage of that explosion quickly went viral, doing the rounds on social media. There were reports of minor damage at the airport – shattered windows as a reminder of the blast’s force. But thank heavens, no human casualties were reported.
Despite the chaos, Minister Ali Hamiyeh assured the world with a short message on X that the airport was “operating normally.” There was not a peep more from him about the strikes, and honestly, why dwell on it when explosions have become a part of life here?
While the airport was busy keeping up appearances, the Haret Hreik area in Beirut’s southern suburbs, often called Dahiyeh, was getting pummeled too. The Israeli army had the audacity to claim their strikes were aimed at Hezbollah military hubs tucked in residential areas. It’s one of those “it’s not personal, it’s just business” sort of deals, I guess.
Further south, Thursday took a grim turn in Sidon. An Israeli drone struck again, taking three lives and injuring five of the UN peacekeepers. Lebanese soldiers also got caught up in this web of violence. Another strike in Jamhour took out a car traveling along one of Lebanon’s crucial roads. Rumor has it the poor woman who lost her life was linked to Hezbollah’s bigwig, Naim Qassem.
Hezbollah, not one to stay silent, fired back at Israel. This back-and-forth with the guns has been going on since early October 2023, destroying homes and dreams alike. The Lebanese Health Ministry says we’ve lost over 3,050 souls, with most of them being everyday people caught in the crossfire. Over 13,000 folks have been injured in this madness.
On the flipside, Israel reports 72 lives lost to Hezbollah’s retaliation, including soldiers. Every statistic is a story – of families torn apart, dreams crushed, and lives forever changed.
Adding to the surreal backdrop of all this was Donald Trump’s recent election win. Some are crossing their fingers, hoping he’ll extend a peace offering. Massad Boulos, Trump’s daughter’s father-in-law, brought some hope on local TV, promising that Trump wants to stop the nightmare Lebanon’s been living.
Boulos seems poised to take up negotiations, aiming to patch things up in a cease-fire. Meanwhile, US special envoy Amos Hochstein is juggling diplomacy like a circus act, shuttling between Beirut and Tel Aviv. Even his latest visit shed no light at the end of the tunnel.
Word on the street is that Hochstein will be back soon, trying to get everyone to play nice. But as the days pass and bombs continue to drop, Lebanon’s people are left with little choice but to navigate a world that teeters on the brink of disaster every single day
