A woman stands at the site of a series of Israeli airstrikes That left several dead and injured in the Basta neighborhood, central Beirut, Nov. 23, 2024. (Credit Matthieu Karam / L'Orient-Le Jour)
44 days after the first attack, the Basta Fawqa neighborhood in Beirut has just experienced its second "massacre." Standing in front of his shop, Jalal* keeps his eyes fixed on the ground, his features drawn, and his heart "heavy." During the first attack in his street on Oct. 10, his apartment had been damaged, his bird had perished, and the fruits and vegetables on his stall all had to be thrown away. Despite that, Jalal had forced himself to smile. "This time, I can't do it. The martyrs, I know them," he says, naming them one by one. First, there's the concierge of the eight-story building reduced to ashes by this new Israeli strike, which shook the capital at 4 a.m. on Saturday amid the ongoing war between Hezbollah and Israel since October 2023. Then, there are the two children who used to shop at his place every day. Or Imad, who...
44 days after the first attack, the Basta Fawqa neighborhood in Beirut has just experienced its second "massacre." Standing in front of his shop, Jalal* keeps his eyes fixed on the ground, his features drawn, and his heart "heavy." During the first attack in his street on Oct. 10, his apartment had been damaged, his bird had perished, and the fruits and vegetables on his stall all had to be thrown away. Despite that, Jalal had forced himself to smile. "This time, I can't do it. The martyrs, I know them," he says, naming them one by one. First, there's the concierge of the eight-story building reduced to ashes by this new Israeli strike, which shook the capital at 4 a.m. on Saturday amid the ongoing war between Hezbollah and Israel since October 2023. Then, there are the two children who used to shop at his place every day. Or Imad, who...
