'A Real Horror': Lebanon's Residents Relate Flight From South Under Israeli Attacks

Israeli air raids - the heaviest since 2006 - intensified on Monday morning, covering the entire southern part of Lebanon, as well as some Beirut suburbs. The area bordering Israel and the city of Tyre, the largest in the south of the country, suffered the most.

Gia is a 24-year-old girl who - until recently - lived in Tyre in southern Lebanon. When heavy Israeli air raids started on Monday, she had to leave her house and traverse a risky route to a safer location, all under attacks on the roads that were crowded by thousands of cars.

She told Sputnik her story.

'It Was Literally Like a Horror Movie'

On the morning of September 23, the bombing of southern Lebanon was terrifying, but Gia (who asked not to reveal her surname for personal security) and her family tried to continue their daily routine as normal. They were in the city of Tyre, located a fairly large distance from the border with Israel.

"Suddenly at maybe ten or eleven o'clock, the bombing started, started again in a hectic way, all around Tyre. It was near to my friends' houses and near our house too. Then we were packing a little bit of stuff and while we were packing, we heard the sound of a missile. It came above us and in front of us. And at this moment, we didn't know what to do. We grabbed the stuff from our house and we got into the car and went out of the city. Of course, the bombing, then the airplanes, everything was heard," Gia said.

Due to the heavy air raids, thousands of residents of Lebanon's southern areas decided to move to a safe place. The traffic jam literally stretched across the entire country and became a massive target.

Traffic jam on the main road from Tyre to Saida during Israeli air raids on southern areas of Lebanon

© Sputnik / Abdul Kader Al-Bay

"Then we decided to go from Tyre to an area where we can feel safe. We thought that, but unfortunately, it wasn't. Because the roads from southern Lebanon to safe places like Beirut suburbs were like a horror movie. The situation here was even worse than in our city," she explained, highlighting how it took almost 10 hours instead of two.

"We had to wait under attacks. They were literally when we were in the car, seeing the bombing. This was very terrifying when we were among more than a thousand cars, don't know what's going to happen. Then another bomb occurred, and those two bombs were terrifying because they were near civilians. Civilians then were going and escaping from southern Lebanon to another places. That was really terrifying. A lot of my friends were near that bomb. Their cars were shuttered, but thank God they were okay, nothing happened to them."

'Lebanese Citizens Are Helping Each Other'

The Lebanese government did not organize a formal evacuation of the attacked areas since local authorities were deemed to lack the ability to help, and the Lebanese can't blame them, Gia explained, speaking about the help provided to displaced people.

"A lot of local organizations are doing their best to help us. But the most important thing is that we, Lebanese citizens, are helping each other. Despite everything on the roads from south Lebanon, from Saida to Beirut, people are giving free water, they are asking if they need anything. I think it's the best thing in our situation," the youngster emphasized.

Traffic jam on the main road from Tyre to Saida during Israeli air raids on southern areas of Lebanon

© Sputnik / Abdul Kader Al-Bay

'We Will Stand Together Hand in Hand'

Despite being displaced and scared by the Israeli attacks, local residents are feeling united with the people of Gaza and keep supporting them, Gia noted.

"It’s a real horror. We are looking at people in Gaza, what are they doing right now, to them. We are here supporting Gaza and the people of Palestine. Yes, we are living in horror. Yes, we are displaced. Yes, it's terrifying. Yes, our country and our city, our southern Lebanon are bombed. Yes, we are scared. But we will stand together all against our one enemy. We will stand together hand in hand. We will remain here in Lebanon. And, hopefully, the situation will be better one day. But I'm literally speechless because I have goosebumps all over my body. We have to live. We have to help the people of Gaza."

Gia also highlighted that she witnessed the Israeli Defense Forces targeting civilians while fleeing from Tyre.

"The enemies are not targeting the things they said they are targeting. They are targeting civilians also. That's unacceptable. A lot of red lines they've exceeded. A lot of civilians have been murdered and dead. In the safe places where they claim that someone from the [Hezbollah] Resistance were there, but they're not - because they are our friends, we know them. A lot of civilians are suffering. I witnessed also, while coming from Tyre, from south Lebanon, I was seeing the bombing of houses. It's, of course, unacceptable," she concluded.

According to the Lebanese Ministry of Health, the number of victims of the Israeli bombing of southern Lebanon has increased to 492 people, including 50 children.