As Israel attacks, displaced Lebanese people come together in Hamra
Al Jazeera
As Israel’s bombs rain down on the south, Lebanese people are fleeing northwards, trying to find safety.
Beirut, Lebanon – Beirut is filling up, possibly way past its capacity, as thousands of people stream into its neighbourhoods, seeking refuge from Israel’s unpredictable air raids.
When it seemed to have been concentrating on bombing the south, Israel soon bombed the north. Then it hit Christian-majority neighbourhoods, upending the guess that they were focusing on Shia-majority areas.
The uncertainty is almost palpable as exhausted people stream into the Hamra neighbourhood of Beirut on Tuesday, some having been on the road for more than 12 hours to cover a distance that normally takes two.
At the Casa D’Or, a four-star hotel on Hamra Street, a couple stands at the check-in desk, trying to negotiate the price for the last room available that night – a suite.
Speaking to them is a receptionist who introduces herself as simply, Lama.
