Lebanon faces its worst crisis since the end of the civil war
Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. The public squares and beaches of Beirut are crammed with people who have been displaced from the south of Lebanon and the city’s southern suburbs. The lucky ones have mattresses and blankets to sleep on.
Thousands of shocked families have been camped out since the night of September 27th; following the Israeli strike that killed Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hizbullah, the Israeli army warned it would launch further attacks on Beirut. The southern suburbs, known as bastions of support for the Shia group, emptied within hours as people headed to seek safety in other parts of the capital and beyond. In 2019 Martyrs’ Square in Beirut became the centre of a popular protest movement against Lebanon’s corrupt political class, which Hizbullah was seen as protecting.
Today the square is a shelter for those who have fled Dahiyeh, the Hizbullah stronghold where Mr Nasrallah was killed, and one of the main focuses of Israel’s current air strikes. As its supporters sleep on the streets, and Lebanon faces what may be the largest displacement crisis in its history, the party is nowhere to be seen. Its supporters are relying on Lebanon’s chaotic caretaker government and their fellow citizens for help.
Hizbullah itself has offered little support to the displaced. On September 28th, as news spread that the group had confirmed Mr Nasrallah’s death, the atmosphere in Martyrs’ Square was sombre. There were groans and tears.
Women in black chadors and bearded men wept for the charismatic cleric. On television, anchors burst into tears on air. In the streets of west Beirut, some fired their guns into the air in despair.
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