View of Beirut. (Credit: Mohammad Yassine/L'OLJ)
Since the beginning of the war in southern Lebanon last October, following the conflict in Gaza, Israeli fighter jets have repeatedly broken the sound barrier over Lebanese territory, particularly over the capital Beirut in recent days. This has caused loud detonations, spreading panic among the Lebanese. Rarely, it can result in injuries and cause some property damage.
The most significant damage has been recorded in the south, where a mother and her son were hospitalized in early July after part of the roof of their house in Nabatieh collapsed.
While damage in the Bekaa remains limited, according to our correspondent Sarah Abdallah, who reports that residents take preventive measures when they hear fighter jets flying over the region, this was not the case in Beirut. Some buildings had their facades shattered on Tuesday after Israeli fighter jets flew over shortly before Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah's speech. These jets again broke the sound barrier over the Lebanese capital multiple times on Wednesday early afternoon.
How can damage be avoided in these situations? Youssef Faouzi Azzam, director of Safe Building Alliance, an NGO raising awareness about security risks in buildings, outlines a list of preventive measures to take in a statement relayed by the state-run National News Agency (NNA):
- Keep windows and glass doors slightly open to reduce the pressure from the sound barrier being broken.
- Replace cracked or broken glass.
- Repair cracked ceilings.
- Avoid placing furniture or floor lamps near beds.
- Ensure that cabinets, bookshelves, shelves, false ceilings, and water heaters are securely fastened.
This article originally appeared in French in L'Orient-Le Jour.