The Australian Lebanese community have been feeling anxious as violence continues to escalate in southern Lebanon. Tensions in the region have heightened concern for family and loved ones still residing in Lebanon.
Israel and Hezbollah have engaged in heavy cross-border fire after almost a year of fighting. Over the past few weeks, Israel has launched one of their most intense bombardments into southern Lebanon.
At the same time, Hezbollah has retaliated with rockets targeting northern Israel.
The Israeli Defence Force (IDF) reported striking 290 Hezbollah targets, including thousands of rocket launchers. In response, Hezbollah fired over 100 rockets into northern Israel.
Hezbollah’s Deputy Secretary-General, Naim Qassemm, called this escalation a “new phase” in their conflict with Israel, describing it as an “open-ended battle of reckoning.”
Amid the rising tensions, the UN’s Special Coordinator for Lebanon, Jeanine Hennis, issued a stark warning on social media, stating, “The region is on the brink of an imminent catastrophe, it cannot be overstated enough; there is NO military solution that will make either side safer.”
The Australian Lebanese population have been feeling anxious and worried – a community that consists of approximately 250,000 people.
Bashaar Latif, a 20-year-old Lebanese Australian, is deeply concerned for his family, who are still residing in southern Lebanon. His relatives live in the village of Marj El Zhour, located very close to the ongoing bombings. Recently, the neighbouring village was struck in the crossfire.
“My family are all scared about what this means for them,” Mr Latif said.
“They are left wondering if they are going to be hit next and what the future of Lebanon looks like,” he added.
Mr Latif acknowledged that the situation in Lebanon has been dire for some time. He believes that ninety-nine per cent of the Lebanese population is already struggling to survive with the collapsing economy, and this conflict is making things even worse for innocent people.
The Latif family had to take measures, flying their grandparents out of Lebanon. They are now working to bring other extended family members to Australia as the violence escalates.
