For many weeks, Israel has been striking Lebanon, claiming to want to destroy Hezbollah and its leaders.
As in Gaza in the fight against Hamas, civilians are paying a heavy price.
Within the Lebanese population, two visions, those of two different generations, oppose each other on these events.
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Middle East: fear of widespread conflict
As in Gaza, the inhabitants of Lebanon find themselves stuck between a rock and a hard place, between an entrenched pro-Iran and anti-Israel Hezbollah and the strikes of the Hebrew state. Hundreds of civilians have died in the increasing bombardments on Beirut and the south of the country. Within the population, these violent combats brought back the demons of the murderous civil war (1975-1990). “We all protected ourselves there, because we thought it was the most protected place, given that there were lots of buildings,” testifies Lamia Darouni, a resident of Beirut who was 12 years old when the hostilities broke out. She already resided in the apartment she occupies today. “And we realized that there was a shell that fell right in front of us”she recalls at the microphone of LCI.
We will have resentment towards the Israelis
Caline Darouni
For fifteen years, the different communities were torn apart. In the Lebanese capital, as in the hearts of the locals, the traces of this dark period of history are still visible. The scars from that time have never healed. Recently, Lamia showed photos from the time to her daughter Caline. A gesture all the more important, according to her, as the weight of this war weighs on today’s conflict. “No Hezbollah is a political military party that invaded us, that completely destroyed us. To be dragged into this war because of the Palestinians, and because of a cause that does not concern us, no, (we do not accept)”says Lamia Darouni. “But that’s not something we’ve experienced.”refutes his daughter Caline Darouni. “It’s a grudge that they (members of the older generation, editor’s note)they have. I think that their resentment towards the Syrians and the Palestinians, we will have towards the Israelis”she adds.
This pro/against Hezbollah and pro/against Israel divide is found more generally among all Lebanese, who have seen their country gradually weaken and become impoverished over the last decades. Karma, 31, is of Christian and Druze origin. He spends his free time helping refugees. The day the LCI teams met him, he was caring for a Muslim family who had fled the south. “In the end, we all live on the same territory, and we share it”he insists. In his eyes, Hezbollah’s actions are legitimate. “It’s not just for Shiite Muslims. These are people who are resisting for the good of all of Lebanon”he believes.
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