'We just had to flee': Fear and tension in Lebanon under deadly Israeli bombardment

Thousands of Lebanese person been fleeing the southbound of the state aft Israel launched hundreds of aerial strikes opening arsenic time broke.

Across confederate Lebanon families scrambled unneurotic belongings and headed northbound successful cars and trucks and connected motorcycles arsenic the Israeli subject struck targets it said were linked to the Lebanese Shia equipped radical Hezbollah.

Some residents reported receiving warnings successful the signifier of substance messages and dependable recordings from the Israeli subject to permission areas adjacent the Iran-backed group’s positions.

Zahra Sawli, a pupil successful the confederate municipality of Nabatieh told the BBC's Newshour programme the bombardment was intense.

"I woke up astatine 6am to the dependable of bombing. By noon it started to get truly aggravated and I saw a batch of strikes successful my area."

"I heard a batch of solid shattering."

Unlike many, she and those she was with did not permission the location - they didn't dare, she said.

"Where are we expected to go? A batch of radical are inactive stuck connected the streets. A batch of my friends are inactive stuck successful postulation due to the fact that a batch of radical are trying to flee," she said.

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By the mediate of the time roads northbound towards Beirut were clogged with traffic, with vehicles heading towards the superior connected some sides of a six-lane coastal highway.

Other images showed radical walking on the formation successful the confederate metropolis of Tyre arsenic fume roseate from aerial strikes successful the countryside inland.

The BBC spoke to 1 household of 5 who had arrived successful Beirut connected a azygous motorbike.

From a colony successful the south, they were heading to Tripoli successful the north. They were exhausted.

"What bash you privation america to say? We conscionable had to flee," the begetter said.

By Monday evening the Lebanese wellness ministry reported that 356 radical had been killed and much than 1,200 injured successful the bombardment. It said astatine slightest 24 children were among those killed. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it had carried retired 1,100 strikes implicit the erstwhile 24 hours.

That included an aerial onslaught successful confederate Beirut that the IDF said had targeted a elder Hezbollah commander.

In Beirut excessively determination was wide anxiety. As radical from the southbound arrived successful the superior successful cars with suitcases strapped to the top, immoderate of the city's residents were themselves leaving.

Israel has warned radical to evacuate areas wherever it says Hezbollah is storing weapons - but it besides sent recorded warnings to radical successful Beirut districts not considered Hezbollah strongholds including Hamra, an country location to authorities ministries, banks and universities.

Parents rushed to prime up their children from schoolhouse aft receiving much warnings to permission the area.

One father, Issa, took his lad retired of school, telling Reuters quality agency: "[We're here] due to the fact that of the telephone calls.

"They’re calling everyone and threatening radical by phone. So we’re present to instrumentality my lad from school. The concern is not reassuring," helium said.

Mohammed, a Palestinian antheral connected the roadworthy with his wife, spoke to the BBC connected the mode retired of Beirut.

When asked if helium would enactment successful the superior helium said: "In Lebanon obscurity is safe, Israel is saying they are going to bombard everywhere. Now they threatened this neighbourhood, truthful wherever should we go?"

"It’s scary, I don’t cognize what to bash - work, spell home, nary thought what to do."

Meanwhile arsenic a BBC unit acceptable up connected 1 broadside of the road, a taxi operator called retired asking if they knew of a substance situation unfolding. “Too galore radical are coming to Beirut,” helium said.

Schools person been hastily converted into shelters for the streams of evacuees coming from the south. On a authorities order, schools successful Beirut and Tripoli arsenic good arsenic eastbound Lebanon were established arsenic shelters.

The BBC was astatine a schoolroom astatine a nationalist schoolhouse successful Bir Hasan, westbound Beirut connected Monday which was being prepared for radical coming from the Bekaa Valley - a Hezbollah stronghold successful north-eastern Lebanon which Israel said it was targeting too.

The classrooms were stacked with mattresses but would beryllium afloat occupied by the extremity of the day, workers said.

Meanwhile Lebanon’s hospitals were besides ordered to cancel each non-elective surgeries connected Monday arsenic physicians braced for a question of casualties and injuries.

Despite the tense and uncertain ambiance successful Beirut, immoderate radical were defiant.

"If a full warfare happens, we should basal arsenic Lebanese radical unneurotic careless of our governmental affiliations due to the fact that astatine the extremity of the day, our state is getting bombed," 1 antheral told the BBC.

Others were simply resigned to the violence.

"If they privation war, what tin we do? It was imposed connected us. We cannot bash anything," store proprietor Mohammed Sibai told Reuters.

Mohammed, a 57-year-old successful the confederate Beirut suburb of Dahieyh - Hezbollah's main powerfulness basal successful the superior - told the BBC helium had "survived each the wars since 1975" truthful "it's mean for me".

"I volition not leave, I volition beryllium successful my house," helium said.