Mariam sits on the Saida corniche, in southern Lebanon, on March 4, 2026. (Credit: Téa Ziadé/L'Orient Today)
It's Monday, March 2, 2026 – the first day of this new war. War means waiting. You wait for it to arrive, and then you wait for it to pass. The smell of asphalt, exhaust fumes, as lines of cars move directionless. At the entrance of Saida, thousands of drivers have been stuck since dawn. Some engines rendered idle as others overheat from extensive use. Some cars don't make it at all. A flat tire, an empty tank. For these people, the road ends here.Ali Ghaddar continues on his way. It will take him fifteen hours to reach the hotel in Ehden (North Lebanon), where he has managed to secure a room. The man left his home in Ghazieh, a few kilometers south of Saida, on Sunday night into Monday. The impossible dilemma Flee now, return later? The dilemma facing people displaced from Israel's war Along the road, local folklore mixes...
It's Monday, March 2, 2026 – the first day of this new war. War means waiting. You wait for it to arrive, and then you wait for it to pass. The smell of asphalt, exhaust fumes, as lines of cars move directionless. At the entrance of Saida, thousands of drivers have been stuck since dawn. Some engines rendered idle as others overheat from extensive use. Some cars don't make it at all. A flat tire, an empty tank. For these people, the road ends here.Ali Ghaddar continues on his way. It will take him fifteen hours to reach the hotel in Ehden (North Lebanon), where he has managed to secure a room. The man left his home in Ghazieh, a few kilometers south of Saida, on Sunday night into Monday. The impossible dilemma Flee now, return later? The dilemma facing people displaced from Israel's war Along the road, local folklore...
Rubio condemns Iran's 'outrageous' attacks on Kuwait
