Flights continue to arrive at and depart from Lebanon's only international airport, the Beirut International Airport, amid fears of a military escalation between the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah and Israel. Although flights continue to arrive at the airport, several airlines have suspended flights to the Lebanese capital. Arriving passengers have shared their anxieties over the increasing tensions. "We were hesitant about canceling our trip, but I prayed and decided to come and see my family. I won't stay long, maybe next year I will stay for longer," said a passenger upon arrival. The departure hall was crowded with people leaving for Arab and European countries, and some travelers decided to depart earlier than planned. "I'm traveling today because of the atmosphere and the pressure we live under. My vacation ends in ten days, but I'm no longer happy so I've decided to stop my trip and go back to work," said a departing passenger.
"My vacation is over, so we are leaving. We didn't reschedule our flight, and we had a great time visiting Beirut. We were a little nervous because people were asking us to leave earlier," said another departing passenger. Beirut International Airport is accustomed to non-stop movement and is often congested. Some sources said the recent uptick in traffic is typical but came earlier than usual this month due to the security concerns. Several countries are urging citizens to leave Lebanon. Confrontations between the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah and Israel rose recently after the latter accused Hezbollah of attacking a football pitch in the town of Majdal Shams in the occupied Golan Heights, killing a dozen people. Israel retaliated by launching three missiles last Tuesday evening targeting Beirut's southern suburbs, killing Fouad Shokor, Hezbollah's top military commander, and seven civilians. According to Lebanon's national news agency, the Israeli army launched multiple rounds of attacks on the Lebanese side of the temporary Lebanon-Israel border on Tuesday, causing many casualties. On the same day, the Israel Defense Forces said in a statement that the Israeli side of the temporary border was attacked by rockets and drones from the Lebanese side, which triggered air defense alarms in many places and caused many injuries, and the Israeli army hit Lebanese Hezbollah weapons depots and other targets. Hezbollah Leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah on Tuesday vowed a strong and impactful retaliation to the assassination of Fouad Shokor, Al-Manar local TV channel reported. Nasrallah also threatened to attack factories in northern Israel, each, according to Nasrallah, worth billions of U.S. dollars.
Beirut International Airport continues operating amid tense security situation
