BEIRUT

OUR WORD JOURNALIST TRAPPED IN THE HELL OF WAR

Yet again Beirut find itself propelled on the international stage to assume the victim’s role, one she has perfected over the years; that of a battered, abused, violated, and raped city. And yet again the Lebanese more divided than ever stumble to find meaning in a meaningless world, searching for peace and calm amid chaos and rubble.

Beirut gained a notorious fame for its unfortunate sequence of events, starting from 1948 when an influx of thousands of Palestinians smashed the existing fragile sectarian political equilibrium planting the seed for a civil war that lasted more than thirty years. Then it was 1982 when Israel invaded Lebanon and Ariel Sharon, Israel’s defence minister boasted of occupying an Arab city. This invasion caused severe repercussions from the Shatila massacre to the assassination of Bashir Gemayel the newly elected President. Moving forward to 2006 when Hizbullah abducted two Israeli soldiers in the South, the Israeli government lashed out destroying a barely functioning Lebanese state. Later the Hizbullah leader would declare had he known of such dire consequences he would have called off the operation. Well dear Sir too late for that, thousands were either dead, displaced, injured, or forever mutilated not to mention the mass destruction of villages, cities, roads, factories, fields, and crops. On the 4th of August 2020, Beirut suffered an explosion, one of the largest non-nuclear explosions in recent history, a blast spotted from space! Fingers pointed at Israel and Hizbullah. The culprits were never caught.

Here we are in September 2024 forced to go through yet another life altering ordeal just because Hizbullah is fulfilling Iran’s agenda and Israel with a historical grudge is more than pleased and willing to further cripple Lebanon and its people.  

Hizbullah’s leader, for better or worse and in this case for the worse, is Lebanon’s “homme fort”. His party holds a strong hold on political life, no decision however minor is taken without the party’s approval while his militia surpasses the army’s.

He had no difficulty casting Lebanon into the supporting role for Gaza to alleviate Israeli military pressure and distract its army’s attention. However, as war progressed and escalated Israel having flattened lands, killed and displaced millions of innocent Palestinians turned its attention to its northern borders with Lebanon and began the second phase of its war according to numerous government and army officials.

Having learned from its 2006 mistakes and shortcomings, Israel devised new war tactics by eliminating prominent party leaders severely diminishing the party’s power, targeting specific military bases, and venturing into novel daring missions by exploding pagers and walkie talkies before intensifying its airstrikes forcing thousands to flee their villages resulting in five hundred dead in a single day. These advanced and innovative technological weapons destabilised Hizbullah’s morale and confidence. Israel has yet to invade.

Hence, many Lebanese are made to choose between the devil and the deep blue sea. A choice riddled with highly moral and ethical grounds. Should they offer hospitality to the thousands of displaced who fled their homes despite their utter annoyance at Hizbullah’s policies and its blatant disregard to their wishes? The virtually non-existent and feeble government declared a state of emergency, the minister of Education turned public schools into refugee centres, while the minister of Transport assured foreigners residing in Lebanon should the ministry receive evacuation requests, he will personally facilitate the process. Meanwhile the minister of Health would tally the dead and injured thanking the medical field for its prompt response despite numerous hurdles. Oh, I almost forgot, the Prime Minister and the foreign secretary are in New York in a desperate diplomatic effort pleading and begging for an unattainable ceasefire.

As I walk the streets of my estranged neighbourhood, looking at the unfamiliar faces of men, women, and children I cannot but be aware of the nasty social schism. It’s like living in parallel universe yet the pain, the suffering and the fear are the same. Glued to their TV sets, when electricity is available, the Lebanese watch the destruction scenes for the umpteenth time. I am vividly reminded of the late Ghassan Tueni’s famous plea “Let my people live” to the United Nations soon after in 1978 at the UN Security Council meeting, the UNSC adopted Resolution 425 calling on Israel to withdraw from South Lebanon.

One slogan on social platform caught my attention “olive trees do not bend. Cedar trees do not break.” Well I hate to break it you dear whoever posted this Israel couldn’t care less. In fact, Israel is burning, tearing, and uprooting people let alone trees. Doves and olive branches are not welcome in my part of the world.

From: Mariam Labban, in Beirut