Lebanon Denial, terror and bravado as Beirut residents await next attack
The Guardian|September 30, 2024
For months, the staff at Rafik Hariri University hospital had been preparing for the worst. Nurses ran drills in parking garages, practising how to transfer patients from hospitals to the bomb-proof concrete structures.
William Christou
Lebanon Denial, terror and bravado as Beirut residents await next attack

A building was left empty on the hospital campus so that if mass bombing occurred, medics could bring their families in and not worry about their safety.

On Friday night, the drills seemed to pay off. Dozens of bombs were dropped on Dahieh, the southern suburbs of Beirut, sending residents running to the safest place they could think of: the nearby hospital.

People ran to the gates of Rafik Hariri hospital, asking to stay in the parking lot until the bombing ceased. Staff could not let them in because they had to keep the way clear for incoming wounded and were expecting hundreds of casualties from the airstrikes, which killed the head of Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, and levelled a city block. The residents settled for waiting outside the hospital gates, staying as close to the structure as possible until the Israeli bombing of Dahieh slowed in the morning.

Once the displaced left, the wounded came in. Hospitals in Dahieh started to transfer patients to Rafik Hariri and other surrounding medical centres after the Ministry of Health ordered the evacuation of all hospitals in the southern suburbs of Beirut.

Contrary to expectations, the wounded from Friday's strike on Dahieh came at a trickle, the Ministry of Health reporting 11 dead and 108 wounded in its latest update. The deep craters where six buildings used to stand, a result of the powerful bunker bombs Israel had dropped, made search and rescue difficult.

Lebanon's first responders, who had grown used to sifting through rubble over the past 12 months of fighting, found themselves combing through destruction the likes of which they had never seen before. Two days after the strike, the death toll continued to climb.

This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM THE GUARDIANView all
London to host first finals of rugby's Nations Championship
The Guardian

London to host first finals of rugby's Nations Championship

Exclusive

time-read
2 mins  |
October 18, 2024
Waiting game Tuchel not expected to attend matches in England until 2025
The Guardian

Waiting game Tuchel not expected to attend matches in England until 2025

Thomas Tuchel is not expected to attend Premier League matches to scout players before he begins his role as England's head coach on 1 January.

time-read
1 min  |
October 18, 2024
Tuchel's club record does not mean he will shine in internationals
The Guardian

Tuchel's club record does not mean he will shine in internationals

German's success stands out but many big-name managers have proved unable to replicate domestic triumphs in World Cups and Euros

time-read
4 mins  |
October 18, 2024
Dyche queries FA pathway for developing English talent
The Guardian

Dyche queries FA pathway for developing English talent

Sean Dyche has questioned whether the Football Association remains committed to giving English coaches a pathway to the top after the appointment of Thomas Tuchel as men's national team manager.

time-read
1 min  |
October 18, 2024
Paquetá tells lawyers to complain to FA over 'leaks'
The Guardian

Paquetá tells lawyers to complain to FA over 'leaks'

West Ham's Lucas Paquetá has instructed his lawyers to complain to the Football Association over \"false and misleading\" leaks relating to the investigation into his alleged breaches of betting regulations.

time-read
2 mins  |
October 18, 2024
Salman puts hosts in control after wasteful England miss chances
The Guardian

Salman puts hosts in control after wasteful England miss chances

For all the chaos that preceded this game Pakistan find themselves in control. It is not yet over but it has started to feel decided: England have never successfully chased more than 209 to win a Test in Asia and their target here is 297, the pursuit of which started in the final halfhour of the third day in the worst imaginable style.

time-read
3 mins  |
October 18, 2024
Winless but still far from hopeless Assessing the Premier League's bottom four
The Guardian

Winless but still far from hopeless Assessing the Premier League's bottom four

Struggling quartet have not tasted victory seven matches in but have reasons to cling to optimism for the rest of the season

time-read
5 mins  |
October 18, 2024
‘Even today, Liverpool fans I meet still show me love'
The Guardian

‘Even today, Liverpool fans I meet still show me love'

Now banished to Bremen's under-23s, the former Reds midfielder discusses injuries, Klopp and World Cup dreams

time-read
4 mins  |
October 18, 2024
Hamano's audacious lob puts Chelsea in charge on Dutch soil
The Guardian

Hamano's audacious lob puts Chelsea in charge on Dutch soil

Goals from young forwards Aggie Beever-Jones and Maika Hamano showed just how bright Chelsea's future is as they continued their winning start to the season under new manager Sonia Bompastor with a 3-1 defeat of FC Twente.

time-read
3 mins  |
October 18, 2024
Ainslie revels in underdog role as Ineos Britannia plot fightback
The Guardian

Ainslie revels in underdog role as Ineos Britannia plot fightback

Twenty-four hours can be a long time on the water. When the sea state off Barcelona changed on Tuesday, the balance of the 37th America's Cup shifted with it. All of a sudden, Ineos Britannia, who were trailing Emirates Team New Zealand 4-0 in the best-of-13 series, were swept back into contention. The America's Cup is a competition for sailboat builders as well as sailors, and the subtle design differences between the two AC75 yachts gave the British team an advantage in the heavier weather. Soon enough, they had pulled the score back to 4-2.

time-read
2 mins  |
October 18, 2024