SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — Tens of thousands of people from the Lebanese diaspora are currently in Lebanon for summer vacation. On Monday, that was cut short. Many airlines canceled flights in the country because of rising tensions between Israel and Hezbollah on the southern border.
Visitors like Camille Bsaibes are scrambling to find a way out. Bsaibes, a San Diego restaurant owner, is currently stuck in the city of Wadi Quannoubine in northern Lebanon. Over the phone, he told ABC 10News that all remaining flights back to the U.S. were fully booked.
“Maybe they have some boats to go from Jounieh to Cyprus," Bsaibes said. "Maybe this is the only way to get out.”
Bsaibes was visiting Lebanon in 2006 during the last war between Israel and Hezbollah. More than a thousand people died, leaving Lebanon’s infrastructure in shambles. Many fear an oncoming war would have more severe consequences.
“The big fear is if they bombard all the bridges, all the main roads, we will be trapped with no where to go,” Bsaibes said.
Eli Berman, an economics professor at UCSD and Israeli Defense Forces veteran, doubts this would happen.
“I don’t think the intention of either side is to do something that will escalate into a larger war," Berman said. "But it’s possible someone makes a mistake.”
Berman believes it’s not in either country's best interest to provoke a full-scale war.
“It looks like there is a possibility for a ceasefire," Berman said. "It’s probably just at this point up to Netanyahu whether he’s willing to pay the price, which would include a political price domestically.”
But civilians in Lebanon are uncertain.
“Everybody’s afraid - yes,” Bsaibes said.
