Alaa Ghalayini, a British woman who fled Lebanon due to the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, says that she feels guilty and terrible for leaving her husband behind with their life in Beirut. The 28-year-old woman is nearly two months pregnant with her first child. She appeared exhausted when she landed at London’s Heathrow Airport with two large suitcases on Sunday. She moved to Beirut last year after getting married. She claims that the situation in the country felt “unbearable” before she left. Alaa is unsure about when she will see her husband again.
Alaa was able to secure a seat on the Middle East Airlines, which her husband is a pilot. The Beirut Airport from where the airline departed is in chaos and a lot of passengers were trying to flee the country. As she left, there was an ongoing bombing near the airport area, which made her relieved for finally leaving the country. She said that she could still hear the bombs even after leaving and that she was experiencing denial.
In addition to Alaa, there was another UK national named Nadine, who arrived at Heathrow to meet her two teenage daughters who had landed from Beirut that morning. Nadine broke down in tears while talking to BBC and said that they were very worried about their families and friends. Moreover, the situation in Beirut has escalated, and as Israeli airstrikes increased, the family decided to get the girls out.
The UK Foreign Office has instructed British nationals and their dependents in Lebanon to leave immediately through the nearest flight available due to the escalating violence. According to BBC News, there are between 4,000 and 6,000 UK nationals, including their dependents in Lebanon. The government has advised people to take the next available flight, even if it is not a direct route. Additionally, UK nationals in Lebanon are required to register their presence to receive the latest updates.
The situation between Israel and Hezbollah is escalating further. Israel is attacking areas which they think are Hezbollah strongholds in different parts of Lebanon, including the capital Beirut. Furthermore, Hezbollah’s leader Hassan Nasrallah was killed in southern Beirut by an Israeli strike on Saturday. Israel claims that 20 more senior members of Hezbollah were also killed in the attack
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