It feels bizarre to “celebrate” Lebanon’s ceasefire with Israel, even though we have been waiting for it for so long. It came after one of the most intense nights of Israeli attacks this war has seen.
I was working late as a journalist at The National in the UAE on Tuesday night, monitoring for updates as the Lebanese and Israeli cabinets debated whether to go ahead with the ceasefire. I admit, I took the late shift selfishly, for my own peace of mind. I wanted to be able to call my family as soon as the news came through and tell them it was over, and that I was coming home to see them.
Instead, news of an Israeli strike on Noueiri, a densely populated neighbourhood in central Beirut, came in. According to Lebanon’s National News Agency, the strike hit a building that housed displaced families. At least seven people were killed.
The air strikes on Beirut suburbs came next: 20 attacks in less than two minutes. I was watching it all unfold on a screen. Images of a fire belt and large plumes of smoke in the Beirut skies – it felt dystopian, just like the past 65 days have.
The Israeli army’s spokesperson for Arab media shared eviction maps on X, marking areas that would be attacked that night, even as the ceasefire discussions continued. Maps like this have become a staple of the psychological warfare that has characterised this conflict. This time, they showed residential areas in central Beirut: Msaitbeh, Ras Beirut, Zqaq El Blat, Mazraa – all neighbourhoods I know by heart. My own neighbourhood, where my family still live, was included in the list.
I frantically called my mother. “Please leave the house now,” I begged her.
“Don’t worry, we’re far,” she responded, in the composed way mothers often do, even though we both knew it wasn’t true.
I spent the next 10 minutes zooming in and out of the maps, calculating the distance between the structures marked in red and my family home. Three minutes by car, six on foot ... Four minutes by car, nine on foot ... All around the targeted buildings were shops and streets I recognised. I know this bakery, this pharmacy, this pastry shop, I know, I know, I know …
With every refresh, I saw a residential building levelled to the ground
Less than an hour after the maps were released, the strikes began, including some that were unannounced. I called my family every five minutes to check they were safe, while scrolling through social media footage of other families fleeing on foot and seeking shelter at hospital entrances and universities.
It felt like I was standing right outside, close enough to watch the deaths and destruction unfold, but not close enough to help.
For the past two months, my phone has served as a peephole into this war. With every refresh, I saw a residential building levelled, a family wiped out or a town destroyed. Another refresh brought a post from a friend pinpointing their home in a razed building, another mourning their family and a third sharing memories from the town where they grew up.
In the blink of an eye in late September, I went from mindlessly scrolling and platform jumping to refreshing my feeds for any news on the safety of my loved ones with bated breath.
My family was one of hundreds forced to leave their home in the south on September 23, when Israel launched raids on dozens of towns and villages. They were stuck in traffic for more than 12 hours as bombs fell around them. I was texting my mother every five minutes on average, asking if they made it to safety and pleading with her to keep me updated.
Every single day since had been a nerve-racking cycle of monitoring the news until I fall asleep for a few hours before I wake up and grab my phone first thing with a pit in my stomach as I check the news again.
My greatest fears now included texting my family on WhatsApp and receiving only one tick, or calling them and not getting an immediate response.
I was a child in Lebanon when the 2006 war erupted, but this war has been different for my generation. This time I don’t hear the bombs, but I’m watching them drop on my country and, somehow, for me, it feels much more terrifying, knowing I’d rather be with my family.
I have watched on X as Israel has dropped dozens of bunker-buster bombs on the Beirut suburbs, rocking the capital and terrorising its residents. I have watched on Instagram as Israeli troops invade Lebanese homes in the south, vandalising properties and mocking their owners. It was on TikTok that I watched a famous Israeli journalist embedded with the army push a button that detonated an entire Lebanese village in the border area.
To say it is a surreal experience is an understatement. Even all of the words I have written here do not describe how it feels to watch the live-streamed destruction of so much of what I’ve known and loved.
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
The specs
Engine: 3.8-litre, twin-turbo V8
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 582bhp
Torque: 730Nm
Price: Dh649,000
On sale: now
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1. Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari 202 points
2. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes-GP 188
3. Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes-GP 169
4. Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull Racing 117
5. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari 116
6. Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing 67
7. Sergio Perez, Force India 56
8. Esteban Ocon, Force India 45
9. Carlos Sainz Jr, Toro Rosso 35
10. Nico Hulkenberg, Renault 26
Tour de France Stage 16:
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The specs: 2018 Opel Mokka X
Price, as tested: Dh84,000
Engine: 1.4L, four-cylinder turbo
Transmission: Six-speed auto
Power: 142hp at 4,900rpm
Torque: 200Nm at 1,850rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L / 100km
Tips on buying property during a pandemic
Islay Robinson, group chief executive of mortgage broker Enness Global, offers his advice on buying property in today's market.
While many have been quick to call a market collapse, this simply isn’t what we’re seeing on the ground. Many pockets of the global property market, including London and the UAE, continue to be compelling locations to invest in real estate.
While an air of uncertainty remains, the outlook is far better than anyone could have predicted. However, it is still important to consider the wider threat posed by Covid-19 when buying bricks and mortar.
Anything with outside space, gardens and private entrances is a must and these property features will see your investment keep its value should the pandemic drag on. In contrast, flats and particularly high-rise developments are falling in popularity and investors should avoid them at all costs.
Attractive investment property can be hard to find amid strong demand and heightened buyer activity. When you do find one, be prepared to move hard and fast to secure it. If you have your finances in order, this shouldn’t be an issue.
Lenders continue to lend and rates remain at an all-time low, so utilise this. There is no point in tying up cash when you can keep this liquidity to maximise other opportunities.
Keep your head and, as always when investing, take the long-term view. External factors such as coronavirus or Brexit will present challenges in the short-term, but the long-term outlook remains strong.
Finally, keep an eye on your currency. Whenever currency fluctuations favour foreign buyers, you can bet that demand will increase, as they act to secure what is essentially a discounted property.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
Various Artists
Habibi Funk: An Eclectic Selection Of Music From The Arab World (Habibi Funk)
Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
The%20Kitchen
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%C2%A0%3C%2Fstrong%3EDaniel%20Kaluuya%2C%20Kibwe%20Tavares%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%C2%A0%3C%2Fstrong%3EKane%20Robinson%2C%20Jedaiah%20Bannerman%2C%20Hope%20Ikpoku%20Jnr%2C%20Fiona%20Marr%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203%2F5%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The Specs
Engine 3.8-litre, twin-turbo V8
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 582bhp (542bhp in GTS model)
Torque: 730Nm
Price: Dh649,000 (Dh549,000 for GTS)
The specs: 2019 Infiniti QX50
Price, base: Dh138,000 (estimate)
Engine: 2.0L, turbocharged, in-line four-cylinder
Transmission: Continuously variable transmission
Power: 268hp @ 5,600rpm
Torque: 380Nm @ 4,400rpm
Fuel economy: 6.7L / 100km (estimate)
Also on December 7 to 9, the third edition of the Gulf Car Festival (www.gulfcarfestival.com) will take over Dubai Festival City Mall, a new venue for the event. Last year's festival brought together about 900 cars worth more than Dh300 million from across the Emirates and wider Gulf region – and that first figure is set to swell by several hundred this time around, with between 1,000 and 1,200 cars expected. The first day is themed around American muscle; the second centres on supercars, exotics, European cars and classics; and the final day will major in JDM (Japanese domestic market) cars, tuned vehicles and trucks. Individuals and car clubs can register their vehicles, although the festival isn’t all static displays, with stunt drifting, a rev battle, car pulls and a burnout competition.
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Akeed
Based: Muscat
Launch year: 2018
Number of employees: 40
Sector: Online food delivery
Funding: Raised $3.2m since inception
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Bharatanatyam
A ancient classical dance from the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Intricate footwork and expressions are used to denote spiritual stories and ideas.
Tonight's Chat on The National
Tonight's Chat is a series of online conversations on The National. The series features a diverse range of celebrities, politicians and business leaders from around the Arab world.
Tonight’s Chat host Ricardo Karam is a renowned author and broadcaster who has previously interviewed Bill Gates, Carlos Ghosn, Andre Agassi and the late Zaha Hadid, among others.
Intellectually curious and thought-provoking, Tonight’s Chat moves the conversation forward.
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BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
