Lebanese and Syrian Families are Fleeing to Syria

An Israeli artillery unit fires at a rocket launch from Hezbollah (Wikimedia Commons).

“Hell is breaking loose in Lebanon,” says UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. On September 17 and 18, numerous pagers planted by Israeli agents in multiple locations across Lebanon erupted in flames simultaneously, killing 42 people and wounding up to 3,500 more. Israel, striking these areas in search of the terrorist organization Hezbollah, has since followed up with a devastating aerial bombardment, leaving nearly 700 people dead.

Thousands of families are now fleeing their homes in southern and eastern Lebanon as Israel’s strikes continue. Israel has justified its campaign by saying it is targeting Hezbollah’s military capabilities, and has also warned the Lebanese to evacuate and distance themselves from Hezbollah. The Lebanese health minister has condemned Israel’s carnage, stating that many of the victims were just civilians going about their daily business.

As a result, Lebanese families have been faced with two choices: run or die. Thousands have flocked to Syria, a war-torn country with its own history of refugee crises, but nevertheless proves to be far safer than Lebanon’s current state.

Many of these refugees are ironically Syrian, as Lebanon still hosts over 780,000 registered refugees and hundreds of thousands more unregistered from the long-lasting Syrian Civil War. 

Emad al-Salim, a Syrian who fled the city of Aleppo in 2014, now faces a difficult decision to return to his homeland. Al-Salim was in Tyre when the Monday bombardment started and is now homeless. “There were houses destroyed in front of me as we were coming out,” he said. “It took us three days to get here.”

Thousands like al-Salim are now at the Syrian border waiting in long lines to be processed. With their lives on the line, Syrians and Lebanese are waking up to utter devastation. 

The United Nations is attempting to address the humanitarian crisis. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), along with the Syrian Arab Red Crescent, are working tirelessly  at the borders providing food, water, and shelter for those in line and in danger. Lebanese authorities state  over 90,000 people have been displaced over the first 72 hours of the crisis, a number that is increasing by the minute.

The turmoil has devastated thousands of Lebanese and Syrians who have been caught in the crossfire  between Israel and Hezbollah. Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to speak at the UN General Assembly to share his views on a U.S.-led ceasefire plan that aims to bring an end to the crisis.