Fears are growing in southern Lebanon of what the days, weeks and potentially months ahead will look like after Israel launched what it said were “limited” ground raids across the border.
Bassam el Hajj, a 60-year-old teacher living in the Lebanese border town of Rmeish, told NBC News that he feared for the worst last night after noticing Lebanese troops withdrawing from the area.
“We felt that there was something serious taking place – and soon,” he said in an interview this morning. Then, el Hajj said, he heard “very close clashes” near his village, with the sounds of fighting “surrounding us from all directions.”
Both el Hajj and Charbel, a 35-year-old who asked that his last name be withheld out of fear of professional repercussions, said all appeared to be quiet at around 10 a.m. local time (3 a.m. ET).
Still, Charbel said, “the situation is difficult and critical. We are scared and we want the Lebanese army to stay in our villages.” He also expressed fears for the future if Israel continues its campaign, saying he worried families would run out of “fuel, bread, medication or drinking water.”
“I don’t know if you’re getting the message, but if the situation persists, it is going to be extremely hard,” he said.