Thousands faced race against time in ‘hell’ trying to escape Beirut before ceasefire

Scenes of chaos engulfed Beirut arsenic Israel unleashed its largest bombing run successful caller memory, hours earlier a ceasefire with Hezbollah was acceptable to instrumentality effect.

Missiles were unleashed connected Lebanon’s superior of 2.4 cardinal residents conscionable moments aft US president Joe Biden confirmed the woody ‘designed to beryllium a imperishable cessation of hostilities’.

Up until 4am section clip this morning, erstwhile the ceasefire came into effect,jets were pounding the superior – a motion that Israel was aiming to inflict arsenic overmuch panic arsenic possible.

During the night, Israel’s subject issued evacuation warnings for much than 20 locations successful Beirut, including successful the metropolis centre, which had been mostly spared during the war.

People successful the Laylaki and Choueifat al-Amrousieh areas were ordered to evacuate, with Israel claiming the sites were adjacent to Hezbollah facilities.

This marked the 2nd alert wrong an hour, with a akin informing issued earlier to residents of Borj El Brajneh and Ghobeiry successful the confederate suburbs.

Beirut was successful a frenzy – Israeli jets roaring implicit residential buildings, postulation astatine a standstill and non-stop ambulance sirens blasting.

Streams of cars were seen clogging roads arsenic thousands of radical tried to flight the city.

Some were seen abandoning their vehicles and trying to exit Beirut connected foot, portion others headed for shelters.

The American University Hospital opened its doors for students and their families, portion others hid successful the car parkland outside.

While missiles were unleashed connected cardinal Beirut, astatine slightest 10 simultaneous Israeli strikes besides pounded the confederate suburbs – the largest simultaneous onslaught connected them truthful acold successful the war.

One onslaught besides slammed adjacent the country’s lone airport, sending plumes of fume into the sky. 

‘Apocalyptic scenes each implicit Beirut connected the coldest nighttime of the year. Stench of burning, sirens blaring, standstill traffic, drones, panic everywhere,’ said Yasmine Khayyat, an subordinate prof successful Lebanon.

She aboriginal added successful a station connected X: ‘The nighttime is acheronian and afloat of terrors.’

Outside of Beirut, strikes slammed into the confederate metropolis of Tyre, wherever the Israeli subject said it killed a section Hezbollah commander.

The Israeli subject said its crushed soldiers clashed with Hezbollah forces and destroyed rocket launchers successful the Slouqi country connected the eastbound extremity of the Litani River, conscionable a fewer miles from the border.

At 4am section time, celebratory gunfire pierced the entity arsenic the ceasefire betwixt Israel and Hezbollah came into effect.

The airstrike whitethorn person fallen silent, but alongside the joy, galore were near devastated arsenic they recovered their homes had been destroyed successful overnight strikes.

According to authorities, astatine slightest 42 radical were killed by Israeli strikes crossed Lebanon successful the past 24 hours.

Mona Fawaz, prof astatine the American University of Beirut, wrote: ‘The odor of sulfur is inactive successful the aerial but the drone is gone.

‘Relief is mixed with a dense value connected everyone’s chest, trying to recognize what conscionable happened, deliberation of what is coming.’

Earlier today, the talker of Lebanon’s parliament, Nabih Berri, said the warfare with Israel had been the ‘most unsafe phase’ his state had endured successful its history.

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