More than 95,000 Lebanese have fled their homes escaping intense Israeli airstrikes that began Monday, finding themselves in primitive makeshift shelters lacking even the most basic necessities of life. Their stories reveal a cycle of repeated displacement and deepening despair. Most of these displaced persons experienced similar trauma years ago, yet today they confront far grimmer circumstances compounded by stark absence of government and institutional support.
Zeinab Al-Moghaddam, 50, forced to flee the southern Beirut suburb with her sick daughter, shares: “This nightmare is unbearable. To feel safe in your home then suddenly forced to flee. Displacement is traumatic, something only those living through it truly understand.” She describes her first harrowing night homeless on a beach with her ailing child as “a war imposed upon us that we cannot control.”
Primitive Conditions and Nonexistent Services in Emergency Shelters
Lebanese authorities established emergency shelters, yet they provide minimal protection and services. Women and children are crammed into large rooms without basic facilities. Some sleep on thin blankets or scraps of cloth, while others lie directly on cold concrete floors. Exhaustion, fear, and anxiety are visibly etched on the faces of displaced persons, particularly children and women facing critical health conditions.
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam warned Friday of an “impending humanitarian catastrophe” from the accelerating displacement wave. He emphasized the consequences could be “unprecedented on both humanitarian and political levels,” stating firmly: “Our country has been dragged into a devastating war we did not seek, did not choose, but one imposed upon us by force. The Lebanese government’s priority is ending this war.”
Absence of Support and Humanitarian Vacuum
Displaced persons suffer acute shortages of food, water, and medical services. Hiam, 53, who fled the southern suburb on the first night of bombardment, expressed frustration and despair bluntly: “How long will this suffering continue? When will it end? We are abandoned. The same story repeats. But who asks about this people? Who will care for them? Who will feed them? Who will give them water? We have not seen a single official. No one has knocked on our door.”
This conflict differs fundamentally from previous wars. Historically, Hezbollah provided direct financial aid and shelter to displaced persons. However, the organization emerged from recent confrontations significantly weakened. It lost numerous senior commanders and military capabilities, lost its supply route from Syria following Bashar al-Assad’s fall, and saw its funding sources dry up completely. In the shelters, many hesitate to express opinions before cameras, yet frustration and despair dominate every conversation.
Deep Anger Over Repeated War and Sense of Betrayal
Displaced persons express mounting fury over experiencing forced displacement again within such a short timeframe. Lubna Saad, 42, who fled the border town of Bint Jbeil at night, conveys deep disappointment through tears: “I never thought this would happen again. I believed we had returned home and it was over. I constantly prayed this would not repeat, but unfortunately it has.”
The vast majority express overwhelming desire for peace, far removed from wars they view as pointless and destructive. Nihad Arkan, 33, an Arabic language teacher who spent an entire night on the road fleeing southward, shared: “My feelings are indescribable. It feels like a nightmare, and I wish I could wake from it. The suffering is enormous. In my opinion, there was absolutely no reason for this war to return. It came at exactly the wrong time.”
Desperate Questions About Any Tangible Benefit
Displaced persons repeatedly ask with sharp frustration and anger: “What did we gain from this war?” These questions reflect the fury of a population seeing no real advantage from military escalation. Many feel the war was imposed without consultation and without any concrete benefit whatsoever. Construction worker Muhammad Ali Taqi, 50, from the border town of Markaba, stated: “All we want is for conditions to improve and return home to live in peace, but the enemy shows no mercy. We expected war because we live constantly under this threat.”
Airstrikes Target Archaeological Sites and Civilian Areas
Israeli airstrikes struck the city of Tyre Friday, specifically near Roman archaeological remains listed on UNESCO’s World Heritage list. UNESCO granted the site “enhanced temporary protection” in November 2024 following previous Israeli strikes during earlier Hezbollah confrontations. Agence France-Presse crews documented human remains at the strike location where fires erupted near the Roman ruins. The strike killed at least one person.
In Sidon, the south’s largest city, another airstrike targeted a building on a busy main street crowded with shops and residents. It killed five people and caused severe destruction. AFP photographers documented severe damage to the targeted apartment and scattered glass across the adjacent commercial street, flanked by two public schools converted into displaced person shelters. Emergency crews pulled bodies from rubble and collected scattered remains.
Catastrophic Destruction in Southern Beirut Suburb and Ongoing Threats
The southern suburb sustained massive destruction from relentless airstrikes. AFP footage showed main streets completely covered in rubble, dust, and debris, with massive surrounding buildings severely damaged. Streets emptied entirely except for bulldozers removing rubble. In another street, smoke rose from a building completely leveled to the ground, with severe damage to surrounding structures.
The Israeli military announced Friday it conducted approximately 26 waves of “extensive” airstrikes on the suburb since escalation began four days earlier. Thursday night’s strikes specifically targeted “command centers and ten high-rise buildings containing military infrastructure belonging to Hezbollah.” Israeli Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir announced that Israeli forces deployed in southern Lebanon received orders to deepen their advance and expand control along the border with Israel.
Devastating Human Toll and Accelerating Displacement Crisis
Israeli airstrikes have killed 217 people since escalation began Monday, according to latest official figures from Lebanon’s Health Ministry. The number of displaced persons exceeds 95,000, with most coming from the southern suburb, southern regions, and eastern areas of the country.
Areas considered Hezbollah strongholds experienced unprecedented congestion and chaos following Israeli evacuation warnings. Residents rushed to flee in panic. Dozens spent their nights on central Beirut streets and near the waterfront, without shelter or basic services.
Muhammad, 39, a southern suburb resident who fled with his family, describes the first day after displacement as “catastrophic and unnatural chaos.” He last checked his home Thursday minutes before the Israeli evacuation warning was issued. He says: “I did not know there was a warning. I went down and found absolute chaos. People walking in streets, others sitting in parked cars on sidewalks. I have not returned to check my home since, and I doubt anyone would dare try today.”
Schools Transformed into Emergency Shelters and Absent Basic Services
Public schools have been converted into emergency shelters for displaced persons. Fatima Al-Masri, 45, from Ghobeiri in the suburb who fled to Martyrs’ Square in central Beirut, explained: “We need food and water. We need access to bathrooms. We came here because the schools are full.” This transformation of educational institutions into emergency housing underscores the scale and speed of the displacement crisis.
Regional Context: How War Expanded to Lebanon
Middle Eastern conflict expanded to Lebanon following a rocket attack by Iranian-backed Hezbollah on Israel Monday night. The group said the attack was “retaliation” for the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in a U.S.-Israeli attack on Tehran Saturday.
Israel responded with extensive bombardment of Hezbollah positions in southern and eastern Lebanon and the southern Beirut suburb, asserting it targets military sites. Hezbollah stated it attacked Israeli military positions in northern Israel Friday morning, saying it struck advancing armor convoys and forced them to “retreat.” It also targeted Israeli military positions using rockets and artillery.
Hezbollah Deputy Secretary General Naim Qassem justified the group’s attack as retaliation “for 15 months of violations” of the ceasefire agreement that began in November 2024.
International Response and United Nations Warnings
The United Nations called Friday for swift investigations into the deadly Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon to determine compliance with international law. Ravina Shamdasani, spokesperson for the UN Office of Human Rights, stated: “The devastating impact of this renewed conflict is evident before our eyes, as civilians bear an exorbitant cost. We urge all parties to step back from the brink of dangerous escalation of this conflict in Lebanon.”
The international community’s concern reflects fears of widening regional conflict with unpredictable consequences for the entire Middle East.
CONCLUSION:
Lebanese displaced persons endure a tragic reality where previous war scenarios repeat, yet under grimmer conditions and with conspicuous absence of support and protection. Their testimonies reveal deep anger over a war “imposed upon them” without choice or consultation, occurring when government and partisan institutions failed to provide minimum humanitarian assistance. Although the Lebanese government declared its priority to end the war, the daily suffering of displaced persons intensifies, raising sharp questions about accountability and humanitarian response during crises. A Lebanese population is paying an extraordinarily high price for regional conflicts it did not choose to enter, stripped of both homes and dignity, left to survive in schools and streets with minimal resources or hope.
