Australians in Lebanon are being urged to leave as bombings escalate but some are hesitant to uproot their lives as the conflict spreads across the Middle East.
Zakie Khoury Daou has lived in Lebanon for seven years after meeting her husband and despite the unrest and uncertainty, she’s staying put.
Previously she had told her family back in Australia she was safe with confidence as clashes between Israel and designated terror group Hezbollah were mainly localised to the country’s south.
“Now it’s not just the south, it’s all over Lebanon,” she told AAP from Beirut.
Living with her 29-year-old daughter and nine-year-old son, Khoury Daou said she saw smoke and fire from bombed areas in the distance and would hear warplanes overhead every day. But she’s adamant sustained attacks from Israel and life grinding to a halt with everything but essential services effectively shut down “doesn’t give me reason to uproot my life and go back to Australia”.
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More than 100 commercial airline tickets have been secured for Australians trying to leave Lebanon. But with airlines halting flights and diverting away from Lebanese airspace, there are increasing concerns the international airport could shut.
Flights across Monday and Tuesday carried dozens of Australians out while another scheduled flight for Thursday will add to the tally.
“Australians in Lebanon should be prepared to leave quickly or shelter in place for an extended period,” a Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade spokesperson said.
“If conditions worsen, we may not be able to assist all Australians remaining in Lebanon.”
AAP
