Lebanon: Chaos at Beirut airport as people leave fearing Middle East escalation – Watch video

Just before 11:30 PM on Sunday, the Jerusalem Post, citing a Bloomberg report and information from Israeli officials, reported that an imminent strike from multiple fronts is expected. There are no further details available at the moment.

Meanwhile, chaos reigns at Beirut’s airport. Some are leaving out of fear of an all-out war between Israel and Hezbollah, while others face flight cancellations one after the other: at Beirut airport, passengers are waiting for hours, visibly anxious about the escalating tensions in the Middle East.

Queues at Beirut Airport.

They are trying to leave while it's still possible. pic.twitter.com/TAcnYwEz7t

— InfoDefenseEnglish (@Info_Defense_En) August 4, 2024

“I didn’t plan to leave. I wanted to spend the whole summer in Lebanon and then return to France for work,” said Joelle Sfeir, who is waiting in the crowded departure hall. “But my flight was canceled, and I had to book another ticket for today,” said the young Lebanese woman. Like many compatriots who work or study abroad, Sfeir took advantage of the summer holidays to visit relatives and friends who remain in the country.

Massive Crowds of Foreign Nationals have gathered at Rafic Hariri International Airport in Beirut, trying to get on any Flight out of the Country; as Embassies continue to tell their Citizens to Immediately Depart from Lebanon due to the possibility of War between Hezbollah and… pic.twitter.com/cq4xmirBXK

— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) August 4, 2024

However, following the assassination of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran last Wednesday and the Israeli strike in Beirut a day earlier that killed Hezbollah military leader Fuad Shukr, many airlines, including Lufthansa and Air France, have suspended their flights to and from Beirut.

A large crowd of people can be seen at Beirut airport trying to fly out of the country following calls from many states amid the tense situation in the region. pic.twitter.com/klrg8vOWBe

— Dana Levi דנה (@Danale) August 4, 2024

Additionally, after threats of retaliation against Israel, many countries (Sweden, the USA, the UK, France, Jordan, Saudi Arabia) have urged their citizens to leave Lebanon as soon as possible.

Moreover, memories of the previous war between Israel and Hezbollah in 2006 are still vivid. That summer, Beirut airport was bombed.

In the departure hall, entire families, with children in their parents’ arms, watch over stacks of their luggage and the flight schedule board – most flights are destined for Istanbul, Amman, and Cairo.

“I was in Syria, but the situation became a bit difficult, and my flight scheduled for tomorrow was canceled. So, I’m trying to leave today,” explained one passenger, Mounther Raja.

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