Mariam Nasereddine, a Lebanese Australian from Sydney, describes the anguish of watching her friend's newborn twins sleeping in a plastic bread crate in a school classroom in Mount Lebanon. The family, displaced by Israeli attacks, is among over a million people forced from their homes, according to Lebanese authorities.
Nasereddine, who moved to Australia in 1990, checks daily for familiar names on a growing death toll that has surpassed 1,200, including more than 120 children. Last month, three of her friends and their families were killed by Israeli airstrikes in Beirut. 'Every single moment of that terrifying ongoing attack on Lebanon is just eating me up,' she says.
Mustafa, a Lebanese Australian who requested anonymity, messages his extended family who have evacuated from southern Lebanon. He has seen videos of his little cousins crying, unable to understand why they are being bombed. His cousin recently returned to her village due to unaffordable accommodation, saying she would rather 'all of us go in peace.'
The Shia Muslim Council of Australia wrote to Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong, highlighting 'profound distress' in the community and calling for increased humanitarian aid and pathways for refugees. The council urged the government to condemn Israeli attacks on civilians, journalists, and healthcare workers, warning against allowing Lebanon to become 'the next Gaza.'
Wong issued a joint statement with the UK and EU nations expressing support for Lebanon's government and citizens. Israel's defence minister said the army would occupy parts of south Lebanon and destroy homes, drawing comparisons to Gaza.
