International

Anger, grief in south Lebanon city, almost deserted after Israeli strikes

Published

2 years ago

October 6, 2024

An elderly Lebanese man walks in front of a building brought down by a recent Israeli air strike

Anger, grief in south Lebanon city, almost deserted after Israeli strikes

Conversations in Tyre in southern Lebanon happen in a hurry now. It’s not wise to linger on the streets, and there are fewer and fewer people to talk to.

Chats can be cut short by the rumble of Israeli bombing, or the sound of outgoing rocket fire by Hezbollah – which can attract incoming fire.

Israeli drones buzz overhead.

You drive fast, but don’t speed, knowing there are eyes in the sky. Mostly you are the only car on an empty road – which can make you a target.

That knowledge is always with us, like the body armour we now wear.

But civilians here have no armour plating to shield them, and many Lebanese no longer have a roof over their heads. More than one million have been forced to flee, according to the Prime Minister, Najib Mikati.

War has created a vacuum here – sucking the life out of this ancient city proud of its Roman ruins, and golden sandy beach.

Streets are empty, and shops shuttered. The seashore is deserted. Windows rattle with Israeli air strikes.

The local civil defence headquarters lies abandoned – rescue teams were forced to evacuate – to save themselves after they got a telephone warning from Israel.

Israeli strikes are getting louder and closer to our hotel – in recent days several strikes on the hills opposite us appear to involve some of Israel’s most destructive bombs, weighing in at 1000lb.

And then there is the Hezbollah factor. Even as the armed group is trying to hold off invading Israeli troops on Lebanese soil, it is controlling the international media in the city of Tyre. It limits our movements, though it has no control over what we write or broadcast.

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In hospitals, doctors look weary and overwhelmed. Many no longer go home because it is too dangerous to travel.

Instead, they tend to patients like nine-year-old Mariam, whose left leg is in a cast, and whose arm is heavily bandaged. She lies sleeping in a bed in Hiram Hospital, dark hair framing her face.

“She came in as part of a family of nine,” said Dr Salman Aidibi, the hospital CEO.

“Five of them were also treated. We operated on Mariam, and she is doing much better. We hope to send her home today. Most casualties are given first aid here and stabilised before being sent to other centres, because this hospital is on the front line.”

He says the hospital receives about 30-35 injured women and children a day, and it is taking its toll on staff.

“We need to be positive while we’re working,” he said. “It’s when we stop and contemplate, remember, that’s when we get emotional.”

Asked about what may lie ahead his response comes with a sigh. “We are in a war,” he says. “A destructive war on Lebanon. We hope for peace, but we are prepared for all eventualities.”

Also prepared for the worst is Hassan Manna. He’s staying put in Tyre as war tightens its grip. And he is staying open for business at the small coffee shop he has run for the past 14 years. Locals still pass by for a chat and some reassurance in the form of small plastic cups of sweet coffee.

“I’m not leaving my country,” Hassan told me. “I’m not leaving my house. I’m staying in my place, with my children. I’m not afraid of them (the Israelis).

“The whole world is out on the streets. We don’t want to be humiliated like that.

“Let me die in my house.”

Five of his neighbours were killed in their home by an Israeli air strike last weekend. Hassan saw it happen and was thrown in the air by two incoming Israeli missiles.

He managed to walk away with just an injured arm.

Was there a Hezbollah target there? We don’t know. Hassan says the dead were all civilians and members of one family, including two women and a baby.

Israel says its targets are Hezbollah fighters and their facilities, and not the people of Lebanon. Many here say otherwise – including doctors, and witnesses like Hassan.

Israel says it is taking steps to minimise the risk of harming civilians – accusing Hezbollah of hiding its infrastructure among civilian populations.

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“There was nothing (no weapons) there,” Hassan insisted. “If there was, we would have left the area. There was nothing to be bombed. The woman was 75.”

After the strike he dug in the rubble for survivors until he collapsed and was taken to hospital himself.

When he speaks of his neighbours his voice breaks with anger and grief – and his eyes fill with tears.

“It’s unjust,” he said, “totally unjust. We know the people. They were born here. I swear I wish I had died with them.”

Ten days ago, we got the view in a Christian area, close to the border.

One local woman – who asked not to be named – told me everyone was living on their nerves.

“The phone is constantly beeping,” she said. “We can never know when (Israeli) attacks are coming. It’s always tense. Many nights we can’t sleep.”

We were interrupted by the sound of an Israeli air strike, which sent smoke rising from distant hills.

She reeled off a list of villages nearer the border – now deserted and destroyed after the past year of tit for tat exchanges between Hezbollah and Israel.

She said the damage in these areas was already far greater than in the five-week war of 2006. “If people want to come back later”, she said, “there are no houses left to come back to.

“And there is no house that did not lose relatives,” she said, “either close or distant. All the men are Hezbollah.”

Before the war the armed group was always “bragging about its weapons, and saying it would fight Israel forever,” she told me. “Privately, even their followers are now shocked at the quality and quantity of attacks by Israel.”

Few here would dare to guess at the future. “We have entered a tunnel,” she said, “and until now we cannot see the light.”

From Tel Aviv, to Tehran, to Washington no one can be sure what is coming next, and what the Middle East will look like the day after.

Anger, grief in south Lebanon city, almost deserted after Israeli strikes

BBC

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Job Seeker Steals Bugatti CEO’s £2m Car After Finding Keys Inside

A man who reportedly visited the headquarters of luxury car manufacturer Bugatti in search of employment allegedly drove away in the company chief executive’s £2 million sports car after discovering that its keys had been left inside.

The incident involved Mate Rimac, the Croatian businessman and chief executive of Bugatti, whose personal Bugatti Chiron was stolen from the company’s production and technology campus near Zagreb, Croatia.

The suspect, a Croatian man in his mid-30s, reportedly entered the facility looking for a job before spotting the high-performance vehicle with its keys inside and driving away.

Rimac disclosed the incident in a series of posts on Instagram, explaining that he had routinely left the keys inside his vehicles because he considered Croatia a safe place.

He admitted that the habit had continued for years without any incident until the Chiron disappeared.

The theft was discovered after an employee alerted colleagues that an unfamiliar person had driven away in the expensive vehicle.

Rimac immediately contacted the police and used the car’s built-in tracking and telemetry system to monitor its movements.

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After discovering that the stolen vehicle was heading towards Slovenia, Rimac jumped into a Porsche 911 and pursued it.

The pursuit continued across borders, with the Chiron eventually reaching Austria. Rimac and his team maintained communication with the police through a group chat, providing updates that helped Austrian officers locate and intercept the vehicle.

The suspect was subsequently arrested in Austria, where Rimac later met him at a police station.

According to the Bugatti boss, the man explained that he had initially visited the company’s premises to seek employment but decided to take the car after noticing that its keys were inside.

Rimac said he was not planning to press charges against the suspect. However, he acknowledged that the man could still face prosecution because of the high value of the stolen vehicle.

The CEO also revealed that he had considered giving the suspect a lift home to his family but police officers did not allow him to do so.

The recovered Chiron sustained some damage during the incident, although Rimac said it could be repaired.

The businessman thanked the Austrian police for their intervention, saying he was relieved that nobody was injured during the incident.

He also admitted that the experience had taught him an expensive lesson, promising never again to leave the keys inside his vehicles.

The Bugatti Chiron, unveiled in 2016, is one of the world’s most powerful luxury hypercars. The model has a starting price of about €2.4 million, equivalent to approximately £2 million, and a manufacturer-limited top speed of 420 kilometres per hour.

Bugatti operates under Bugatti Rimac, a joint venture in which Rimac Group holds a majority stake.

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Netanyahu Faces Political Setback as Israeli President Picks Rival to Form Government

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Netanyahu Faces Political Setback as Israeli President Picks Rival to Form Government

Israeli President Isaac Herzog has given opposition leader and former military chief Gadi Eisenkot the first opportunity to form the country’s next government, dealing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a major political setback after a closely contested general election.

Herzog announced his decision on Saturday, November 7, 2026, following consultations with political parties elected to the 26th Knesset, Israel’s parliament.

Eisenkot, leader of the Yashar party, emerged with the highest number of recommendations from lawmakers, receiving the backing of representatives from factions controlling 67 seats, compared with 46 seats for Netanyahu. Representatives of another faction controlling seven seats did not recommend either candidate.

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The former military chief will face difficult negotiations because his opposition alliance does not have enough seats to govern independently. Although the Arab-led parties have endorsed him, Eisenkot has previously expressed reservations about forming a coalition with them.

One possible route is to establish a minority government with support from Arab-led lawmakers on confidence votes and key legislation. Another option would involve reaching an agreement with ultra-Orthodox parties that have traditionally aligned with Netanyahu.

However, both options could create tensions within Eisenkot’s own political alliance, particularly among members who oppose relying on Arab parties or making concessions to religious parties.

A broader national unity government involving Netanyahu’s Likud party is another possibility, although the two leaders have significant disagreements over key political and security issues.

Eisenkot has previously ruled out serving in a government alongside Netanyahu, while criticising the prime minister’s handling of the war in Gaza and his reliance on far-right political partners.

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Eisenkot, 66, served as chief of staff of the Israel Defence Forces from 2015 to 2019 before entering politics in 2022. He later served as an observer in Netanyahu’s wartime cabinet following the Hamas-led attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023.

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White House Reaffirms US Policy Recognising Only Two Genders

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The White House has reaffirmed the United States government’s policy recognising only two sexes, male and female, under President Donald Trump’s administration.

The administration restated its position in a message published on its official X account on Friday, November 6, 2026, declaring that the United States government officially recognises only two genders.

“It is the official policy of the United States government that there are only two genders: male & female,” the White House stated.

The latest declaration reinforces Trump’s position on gender identity and his administration’s efforts to make biological sex the basis for federal government policies, official documents and administrative procedures.

Trump formally established the policy on January 20, 2025, through an executive order titled Defending Women From Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government.

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It also instructed federal agencies to adopt the definitions when interpreting and implementing federal laws, regulations and government policies.

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In 2022, the Biden administration introduced an X gender marker option on US passports, allowing applicants who did not identify as male or female to select the alternative designation.

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The White House’s latest declaration did not announce a new executive order or additional regulatory measures but reaffirmed the administration’s existing position on an issue that continues to attract political, legal and social debate.