Dahieh residents fear strikes as Lebanon pins hopes on talks
Since a ceasefire was reached in April, the Lebanese capital of Beirut has been spared from strikes, except for one strike on its suburbs.
But Israel's latest moves have caused fear, urging residents of Dahieh to evacuate once again, after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that he had authorized more intensive strikes targeting Hezbollah across Lebanon.
"By just saying a few words on TV, (Netanyahu) causes everyone to panic and flee their homes," said Tony Aboud in Beirut’s bustling Hamra district. "I don’t know what’s going to happen and how long we can live like this."
The Lebanese government, which came to power on a platform of reform and disarming Hezbollah and other armed groups, hopes that the direct talks with Israel, opposed by Hezbollah, will lead to a permanent ceasefire and withdrawal of Israeli troops.
Israel says it will not withdraw until Hezbollah no longer poses a threat to residents of its northern towns.
Hezbollah has vowed to continue fighting until Israel stops its daily airstrikes and withdraws its troops from Lebanon.
Over a million people in Lebanon have been displaced in the war, sparked when Hezbollah fired rockets into northern Israel on March 2, two days after the Iran war began.
At least 3,185 people in Lebanon have been killed in Israeli strikes since the start of the war, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry. Over 9,600 others have been wounded.
Elsewhere, according to Netanyahu’s office, 23 Israeli soldiers and a defense contractor have been killed in or near southern Lebanon, and two civilians have been killed in northern Israel, the vast majority by drones.
Source: Naharnet, Associated Press
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