Pregnant Brit, 28, who fled Lebanon hid in bathroom as bombs rang out

Londoner Alaa Ghalayini hid successful panic successful her bath successful Beirut arsenic Israel launched strikes connected Lebanon arsenic portion of its cognition against Hezbollah, fleeing connected a packed Middle East Airlines flight

A mum-to-be who has fled a war-struck Lebanon told however she hid successful panic successful a bath arsenic explosions went off.

Alaa Ghalayini moved to Beirut successful August past twelvemonth to beryllium with her husband. Originally from North London, the 28-year-old was forced to permission her hubby down and fly the state connected a packed formation arsenic Israel launched strikes connected the state successful its warfare connected Hezbollah.

She spoke retired aft arriving astatine Heathrow connected Sunday from a Middle East Airlines flight, saying she was marred with guilt for leaving down her husband, and was struggling to sleep. The Brit, who is 2 months pregnant, said she was besides proceeding bombs successful her caput still.

"I consciousness unspeakable and blameworthy that I person been capable to leave," she told BBC. "I didn't privation to permission my husband." She added she had been "hiding successful the bathroom" for fearfulness of being killed, saying: "I can't sleep. I inactive perceive the bombs successful my head."

"I unrecorded connected the 23rd floor, truthful I was seeing my metropolis burn. You consciousness helpless," she added. Lebanon has travel nether onslaught successful Israel's violative connected its neighbour arsenic portion of its warfare connected Hamas.

It claims more than 20 Hezbollah members were killed successful airstrikes connected Friday, including secretary-general Hassan Nasrallah and 2 of his adjacent associates, and caput of the group's Southern Front Ali Karaki. On Sunday, Israel besides announced it had killed different high-ranking official, Nabil Kaouk.

As a result, hundreds of British nationals person fled the state portion the FCDO had present urged against each question to the country. The authorities said it had prepared for "every contingency" to evacuate immoderate different Brits inactive successful the country.

Pat McFadden, a elder Cabinet Office minister, told the BBC connected Sunday the concern successful Lebanon was “serious” and again urged British citizens to permission the state immediately. He said: “There are commercialized flights available, the Foreign Office is moving with commercialized airlines to marque definite much are available. We volition program for each contingency but it is truly important fixed the seriousness of the concern that British radical successful the country marque what arrangements they tin to permission now.”

White House information spokesperson John Kirby meantime warned Hezbollah would apt question to urgently regenerate their killed officials and rebuild their "command structure". "We're watching to spot what they bash to effort to capable this enactment vacuum," helium said. "It's going to beryllium tough. Much of their bid operation has present been wiped out."