[ad_1]
Tens of thousands have fled border towns because of the hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel.
BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaThe derelict hotel sheltering Lebanese displaced from borderPublished35 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRelated TopicsIsrael-Gaza warImage caption, The Hotel Montana in Marwaniyeh has become home to displaced residents of Lebanese border townsBy Carine TorbeyBBC Arabic, Marwaniyeh, southern LebanonOn an elevated position overlooking the town of Marwaniyeh in southern Lebanon, with its pastures and green lands, stands the imposing, three-storey structure of the Hotel Montana.Despite its derelict state, there are reminders of its better days – a marble-floored reception hall, a large pool and wrought iron railings. After being sold at auction years ago, it was completely abandoned. Four years ago, authorities agreed with its owner to use it as a quarantine facility during the Covid-19 pandemic. Today, its owner has once more made it available for use, this time as a displacement centre.A few months ago, the hotel opened its rooms again to shelter around 50 families from border towns following the start of the ongoing round of hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel on 8 October, the day after Hamas’s attacks on southern Israel triggered the war in the Gaza Strip. Hezbollah – an Iran-backed Shia Islamist group proscribed as a terrorist organisation by the UK, US and others – is the largest military force in Lebanon. It says it is attacking Israel in support of Palestinians in Gaza. The Israeli military has carried out air and artillery strikes in response, fuelling fears of a major confrontation. ‘Evacuating was a mistake’: Israelis push to return to border homes ‘We are surrounded’: Guarding the Middle East’s most dangerous borderThe escalation has prompted tens of thousands of residents from both sides of the border to flee their homes.In Lebanon, around 90,000 people have been displaced. The overwhelming majority are staying with relatives or in rented houses. The rest are in centres like the Hotel Montana. As the sun spread its warmth on a cold day, children here gathered to play football, racket games or take a walk. Many of them are not attending any classes after their schools were shut because of the war. Others have online lessons, but they can only join for a few hours each morning before the generator that provides electricity to the premises is switched off. Image caption, Fatima, from Odaysseh, had to move many times before finding a room at the hotelFatima was supposed to be in the 6th Grade. But her school in the border town of Odaysseh had not even started enrolling students for the new year when the fighting started. “My dad came home one day and told us that we had to leave the house the next morning. We were packing our stuff while crying,” Fatima says. She’s now staying with her father, mother and brother in one room. It’s spacious, with a queen size bed and an en suite bathroom. Fatima and her family had to move many times before settling in the hotel. “We stayed in four or five different places before we got here,” her father Abu Ali, who is helping with organisational efforts at the hotel, tells me. He longs to return to his village where he was born and raised. “Only God knows when we will back. Unfortunately, there are no signs on the horizon. This has been happening for too long.” Image source, AFPImage caption, Smoke is seen billowing over the Lebanese town of Odaysseh in this photo taken from northern Israel on 20 JanuaryManahel, in her late 50s, is also from Odaysseh. She has no idea whether her house is still standing. “Our village is completely empty. No-one has access to it at the moment.” She fears the worst. “We do not care about the stone, but what matters to us are the memories. It’s very painful.” In the corridor, the hotel’s “guests” meet and chat. Each one is from a different border town; all united by displacement. Families refer to each other by their room numbers and behind each door is a story of a village. On top of the displacement, families from southern Lebanon have to deal with uncertainty and constant fear for their safety. As the conflict continues, it’s also getting closer. On 19 February, an Israeli air strike in Ghaziyeh, a few towns away from Marwaniyeh and around 50km (30 miles) north of the border, caused shock across southern Lebanon and beyond.As footage of the attack circulated on social media, people feared the war would not remain confined to the border area and its surroundings.Five days before that, an Israeli air strike had killed seven people from the same family in Nabatiyeh, to the south-east. Image caption, Lebanese authorities say some 90,000 people have been displaced as a result of the cross-border hostilitiesOn that night, many people from the city sought refuge at the Hotel Montana. They spent their night sleeping on thin mattresses on the floor. Most of them left the next day, but more could be expected at any time.Salam Badreddine is in charge of the Disaster Management Committee in the al-Zahrani area, which is composed of more than 70 towns. He tells me that when the hostilities started, no-one expected them to last that long. “We thought it would be a matter of days or weeks, but the hostilities have expanded greatly. There’s no longer one single conflict spot.” He added: “The more the situation escalates, the bigger the number of displaced. Emergency and relief plans are constantly updated which puts a lot of pressure on us. We always have to reassess the situation.”The fighting comes amid an unprecedented economic crisis in Lebanon. A lot of organisations are providing help to the displaced. As we were visiting the hotel, we met representatives of a non-governmental organisation providing the displaced with hot meals. Another organisation has set up a clinic in the premises. A third is looking after the children’s needs. There were also people from the Red Cross giving awareness sessions on how to deal with disasters and earthquakes. But for the displaced attending, a different kind of danger is already too close to home.Related TopicsIsrael-Gaza warIsraelHezbollahLebanonMore on this storyHuge explosions as Israel strikes southern LebanonPublished19 FebruaryIsrael launches deadly air strikes in LebanonPublished14 FebruaryIsrael’s border residents in fear of invasion from northPublished9 JanuaryHamas leader’s assassination sparks wider war fearsPublished3 JanuaryWhat is Hezbollah and will it go to war with Israel?Published3 November 2023Residents leave as tension soars at Lebanon borderPublished20 October 2023Top StoriesBiden hopes for Gaza ceasefire by start of RamadanPublished4 hours agoUS president treads carefully through Middle East political minefieldPublished4 hours agoRents soar in commuter towns as tenants priced out of citiesPublished7 hours agoFeaturesBad blood over Singapore Taylor Swift tour subsidiesThe Papers: ‘Democracy under threat’ and ‘Farewell Navalny’Black country singers: ‘We’re tolerated, not celebrated’What video and eyewitness accounts tell us about Gazans killed at aid dropThe two faces of Robert F Kennedy JrJools ‘can’t believe’ he’s finally hit number oneHow worried is Labour after losing Rochdale?Listen: Sunak’s Surprise Downing Street Speech. AudioListen: Sunak’s Surprise Downing Street SpeechAttributionSounds’Cousin of the Kelpies’ unveiled on Glasgow canalElsewhere on the BBCWill this elite boarding school fit around them?Five black inner-city teens must leave their old worlds behind…AttributioniPlayerHair-pulling, wrestling and kicking!Watch the moment a violent brawl unfolded in the Maldives ParliamentAttributioniPlayerThe mysterious deaths of Nazi fugitivesThree brothers investigate whether a family connection may explain the truthAttributioniPlayerWhy do people behave the way they do on social media?Marianna Spring investigates extraordinary cases of online hate to find out…AttributioniPlayerMost Read1Killer whale vs shark: solo orca eats great white2How did the viral Willy Wonka experience go so wrong?3’Democracy under threat’ and ‘Farewell Navalny’4Rents soar in towns as tenants priced out of cities5Screenwriter slams Doctors axing as filming ends6Jools ‘can’t believe’ he’s finally hit number one7Bad blood over Singapore Taylor Swift tour subsidies8How we tracked down the Ukrainian poison seller9Can Raye break the Brits Awards record?10We must face down extremists, says Rishi Sunak
Related Posts
BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaCould you be a fair juror for Trump? We asked New YorkersThis video can not be playedTo play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.Could you be a fair juror for Trump? We asked New YorkersCloseJury selection is under way in Donald Trump’s New York City hush-money trial, with hundreds of people selected as potential jurors.They must answer a questionnaire to determine, among other things, if they can be impartial about the former president.The BBC asked some of those questions to Manhattan residents.SubsectionUS & CanadaPublished50 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRead descriptionExplore moreCould you be a fair juror for Trump? We asked New Yorkers. Video, 00:02:16Could you be a fair juror for Trump? We asked New YorkersSubsectionUS & CanadaPublished50 minutes ago2:16Up Next. A view from inside court for Trump’s blockbuster trial. Video, 00:01:15A view from inside court for Trump’s blockbuster trialSubsectionUS & CanadaPublished19 hours agoUp Next1:15Press, police and protesters: Outside Trump courthouse. Video, 00:01:12Press, police and protesters: Outside Trump courthouseSubsectionUS & CanadaPublished1 day ago1:12Trump’s ‘perp walk’ moment explained in 60 seconds. Video, 00:01:00Trump’s ‘perp walk’ moment explained in 60 secondsSubsectionUS & CanadaPublished31 March 20231:00Editor’s recommendationsCopenhagen stock exchange engulfed by huge fire. Video, 00:01:03Copenhagen stock exchange engulfed by huge fireSubsectionEuropePublished12 hours ago1:03Moment spire collapses at Copenhagen stock exchange. Video, 00:00:43Moment spire collapses at Copenhagen stock exchangeSubsectionEuropePublished11 hours ago0:43Dormice ladders built in the Forest of Dean. Video, 00:00:51Dormice ladders built in the Forest of DeanSubsectionGloucestershirePublished1 day ago0:51Liz Truss: The world was safer under Trump. Video, 00:00:35Liz Truss: The world was safer under TrumpSubsectionUK PoliticsPublished22 hours ago0:35Huge fires blaze along Miami highway. Video, 00:00:33Huge fires blaze along Miami highwaySubsectionUS & CanadaPublished12 hours ago0:33Watch: Georgia opposition leader punches MP during debate. Video, 00:00:34Watch: Georgia opposition leader punches MP during debateSubsectionEuropePublished21 hours ago0:34Wheelie bins fly and a caravan overturns in strong wind. Video, 00:00:24Wheelie bins fly and a caravan overturns in strong windSubsectionStoke & StaffordshirePublished1 day ago0:24Hannah Waddingham calls out demanding paparazzi. Video, 00:00:28Hannah Waddingham calls out demanding paparazziSubsectionEntertainment & ArtsPublished1 day ago0:28Endangered California condor chicks hatched in LA. Video, 00:01:28Endangered California condor chicks hatched in LASubsectionUS & CanadaPublished1 day ago1:28
[ad_1] Jury selection is under way in Donald Trump’s New York City hush-money trial, with hundreds of people selected as potential jurors. They must answer a questionnaire to determine, among…
BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityUKEnglandN. IrelandScotlandAlbaWalesCymruIsle of ManGuernseyJerseyLocal NewsFirst product of Meghan’s lifestyle brand revealedPublished11 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, ReutersImage caption, Meghan pictured at a polo match in Florida last weekBy Sean CoughlanRoyal correspondentA first glimpse of the new business venture from the Duchess of Sussex has been teased on social media, with pictures of a jar of strawberry jam.In a bid to preserve a sense of mystery, the jam from the new American Riviera Orchard brand seemed to be spread among friends and influencers.Fashion designer Tracy Robbins posted a picture of the jam on Instagram.It was numbered “17 of 50”, suggesting the number of recipients of this first fruit of the new business.The arrival of Meghan’s new California-based lifestyle brand had been signalled on social media last month and this suggests that it will be selling food products.What do we know about Meghan’s new brand?Five things about Harry and Meghan’s brand revampWhy did Harry and Meghan leave the Royal Family?There seemed to be have been something of a re-launch for Meghan and husband Prince Harry’s brands and businesses this year, beginning with the overhaul of their regal-looking website under the sussex.com label.Their latest projects seem to be moving away from a previous focus on their time as working royals, such as their Netflix film Harry and Meghan and Prince Harry’s memoir Spare.The hint about the strawberry jam from Meghan’s American Riviera Orchard brand seems to fit with the couple’s latest Netflix plans.Meghan is going to launch a Netflix show which will “celebrate the joys of cooking and gardening, entertaining, and friendship”.Prince Harry will be involved in another Netflix venture showing the inside track on the world of polo. That’s the equestrian sport, not the mints.Delfina Blaquier, married to Prince Harry’s polo-playing friend Nacho Figueras, also posted a picture of the new jam, with hers labelled “10 of 50”.The social media trail for American Riviera Orchard evokes a sense of the couple’s home in California – and this soft launch for the jam show pictures of the jars in a sunny basket of lemons.It’s not known how much items from the new lifestyle brand will cost. Although there are already plenty of other royals getting into jams. Visitors to the gift shops in royal palaces can get a Buckingham Palace Strawberry Preserve for £3.95 or Windsor Castle Fine Cut Seville Orange Marmalade, also for £3.95.On both sides of the Atlantic they seem to be conserving their finances.Related TopicsUK Royal FamilyMeghan, Duchess of SussexMore on this storyWhat we know about Meghan’s regal lifestyle brandPublished16 MarchMeghan launches surprise new lifestyle brandPublished14 MarchTop StoriesMPs back smoking ban for those born after 2009Published8 minutes agoMuslim student loses school prayer ban challengePublished2 hours agoBowen: Iran’s attack on Israel offers Netanyahu a lifelinePublished7 hours agoFeaturesJeremy Bowen: Iran’s attack on Israel offers Netanyahu a lifelineIranians on edge as leaders say ‘Tel Aviv is our battleground’A really, really big election with nearly a billion votersWhat is the smoking ban and how will it work?Martin Tyler: I nearly lost my voice foreverWho are the millions of Britons not working?How to register to vote for the local elections ahead of midnight deadlinePlaying Coachella after cancer emotional, says DJHow the Alec Baldwin fatal film set shooting unfoldedElsewhere on the BBCFrom weight loss to prolonging lifeIs intermittent fasting actually good for you? James Gallagher investigatesAttributionSoundsCould Nina shake up the unspoken rules of modern dating?Brand new comedy about love, friendship and being your own selfAttributioniPlayerWill the UK introduce tough anti-tobacco laws?Under new plans, anyone turning 15 from this year would be banned from buying cigarettesAttributionSoundsCan William Wisting find the truth?The Norwegian detective returns, tackling more grisly cold casesAttributioniPlayerMost Read1Nursery boss ‘killed baby she strapped to beanbag’2Birmingham Airport flights disrupted by incident3Muslim student loses school prayer ban challenge4First product of Meghan’s lifestyle brand revealed5MPs back smoking ban for those born after 20096Police told to shut down right-wing Brussels conference7Historic Copenhagen stock exchange goes up in flames8Bowen: Iran’s attack on Israel offers Netanyahu a lifeline9Marten a ‘lioness’ who ‘loved her cubs’, court told10Sons of McCartney and Lennon release joint single
[ad_1] The jars of strawberry jam, labelled America Riviera Orchard, have been shared with friends and influencers.