Unease persists for Lebanese as they watch Israel-Iran conflict play out

Sight of missiles flying through the air is a reminder of their country's own unstable situation

From Lebanon it looked like a meteor shower puncturing the night sky on Saturday as ballistic missiles from Iran approached their final destination in neighbouring Israel.

The outbreak of war between Iran and Israel was watched in person and on television as Lebanese enjoyed their weekend, at weddings, at home, in restaurants. One video showed a saxophonist playing at an establishment overlooking a bay as people took videos on their phones of the projectiles streaking high up in the distance.

A resident of Qlayaa, a southern village only 2km from the Israeli border, told The National that while they had seen such sights before they had never witnessed “traffic like this”. One video they shared showed at least 20 projectiles streaking overhead towards Israel.

Israel mobilises reservists along borders with Lebanon and Syria

Read More

Iran launches missile barrage against Israel

Iran launches missile barrage against Israel

01:15

For now, Lebanon has not been dragged in, at least directly, but considerable discomfort remains - not least when Israel continues to demolish south Lebanon and the sound of Israeli drones overhead remains ever-present.

While the war has affected flights in and out – President Joseph Aoun and First Lady Nehmat Aoun had to cut short a trip to the Vatican to meet the Pope – the impact otherwise has been minimal.

After returning, the President convened a meeting of his top security commanders and fielded calls from his French and Cypriot counterparts Emmanuel Macron and Nikos Christodoulides.

Security sources reiterated on Saturday that Hezbollah – once Iran's most powerful proxy – would remain on the sidelines. On Sunday, there was no evidence of that changing and observers say the Lebanese armed group and political party is in no position to support its patron.

Severely weakened by Israel's war on Lebanon last year, and shackled by international and internal pressure, Hezbollah has been quiet since the events of Friday morning.

But there is still a lingering unease, partly because the Israel-Iran conflict is so close and also because the threat from Israel continues to linger over Lebanon.

“We don't know what will happen in the next days. We are not involved for now, God willing we will not be involved any more – in anything,” said Beirut resident Hassan Jeishi. People in Lebanon need no reminder of the carnage and destruction Israel can inflict.

Despite a Hezbollah-Israel ceasefire last November, Israeli attacks on south Lebanon and occasionally elsewhere, including the capital, continue and its troops still occupy five areas of along the border and shows no signs of leaving.

Mr Jeishi, who spoke still of an underlying fear given the precariousness of the situation, regularly goes back to the area in south Lebanon where he grew up that was devastated by Israeli attacks last year.

Despite Israel's attentions being focused on Iran, an Israeli drone carried out a strike on the south Lebanese town of Beit Lif on Saturday, wounding seven people, while Israeli machine gunfire was heard near the border town of Rmeich on Sunday – highlighting the unstable nature of the situation.