Israel attacks Lebanon

Day 4

Israel bombed several bridges on the Beirut-Saida highway and the Beirut International Airport during the night and the early morning. Forty-seven civilians are reported dead in these attacks.

M and I decided to venture around the blast scenes right after noon. In particular, we stopped to see a bridge between Damour and Jiyyeh. These are my own pictures:

We witnessed long queues of cars from the South, mainly people who were fleeing their homes in fear or further Israeli retaliation. There were long lines at the edges of the city and at gas filling stations. Again, these are my own pictures:






We then stopped at the airport, where one of the main runways has been hit. The airport is now closed.




There is an eerie atmosphere in Beirut. The Saudi and Gulf Arab tourists left in the very early morning, trying to reach Syria overland. Downtown is deserted and heavily patrolled by armoured military vehicles and soldiers in full combat attire. Here around me, people are preparing for power cuts and water shortages and are storing food, mineral water, candles and medicines. It's scary.

After a substantial dinner at the Blue Note, M and I reached the rooftop of the Royal Plaza Hotel, past the Raoucheh rocks. From there we witnessed the explosions, flames, smells and sounds from the blasts at the airport and in Dahiyeh (the southern suburbs of the city). A guardian handed over a bottle of Absolut Vodka, and so we sat on the deserted seaview rooftop, waiting for something to happen while at the same time hoping with all our heart that nothing happened. We waited and drank and watched and smelled the odour of gasoline and burnt tyres and I took these pictures of the explosions near the airport:





The wind blew on our faces as our eyes became full of tears.