Mum of twins who says home was bombed in Lebanon speaks to BBC

Mum of Twins Who Claims Home Was Bombed in Lebanon Shares Her Story with BBC

Amid the ongoing conflict in Lebanon, a mother of twins who was forced to flee her home recounted how her family was told to evacuate days before Israeli strikes targeted Hezbollah. “Our home was struck by Israeli bombs, and everything I had stockpiled for my newborns was destroyed,” she shared with the BBC. Ghada, who now shelters in a university-turned-refugee center in Sidon, sleeps alongside her infants and over 2,000 others in the southern city. Known as Lebanon’s third-largest urban hub and a gateway to the country’s south, Sidon has become a major destination for displaced families fleeing areas under Hezbollah control.

Escalating Conflict and Displacement

The war has driven more than one million people from their homes, with Ghada’s family among those affected. Israeli forces intensified their campaign against Hezbollah, establishing a buffer zone in southern Lebanon and demolishing houses near the border. The military claimed the move was to secure territory, while Hezbollah retaliated by launching rocket attacks into northern Israel after the group’s leader was assassinated in the Iran war’s opening days. Despite a ceasefire agreed in 2024, Israel continued to conduct near-daily strikes on Hezbollah positions, accusing the group of rebuilding its military strength.

As the violence raged, displaced Palestinians in Sidon faced additional challenges. A storm swept through the enclave, prompting authorities to urge families to secure their tents to prevent them from being torn apart. The displacement has also impacted trade, with the Strait of Hormuz—a critical shipping route—seeing a sharp decline in maritime activity since Iran’s blockade began. Footage captured by the BBC shows flames engulfing an oil depot in Iran, highlighting the disruption to the Gulf’s vital economic arteries.

International Reactions and Verification

The BBC’s verification team confirmed a video of flames spreading through a building in the early hours of Sunday, following coordinated attacks on Iran. Social media clips depict smoke rising above the city’s skyline, while a verified witness recorded a drone crashing near the airport. The Israeli military announced a “wave of strikes” shortly after ordering civilians in southern Lebanon to vacate their homes, a decision met with gunfire echoing from the border town of Metula. Meanwhile, the UK Foreign Secretary responded to U.S. President Trump’s critique, reassuring the public about the government’s response to the conflict.

Residents in Beirut’s Dahieh district have also been forced to leave their homes due to persistent air raids. The BBC’s Nick Marsh explores how Middle East unrest is driving up global living costs, while Iranians fleeing the region describe the harsh realities of life under sustained bombardment. With strikes on Tehran continuing days after the U.S.-Israel offensive began on 28 February, the crisis shows no signs of abating.

“Our home was bombed, and everything I had prepared for the children was gone,” she told the BBC.

As the war unfolds, the toll on civilians and infrastructure grows, underscoring the far-reaching consequences of the conflict. The BBC’s Dan Johnson and Ben Chu provide further insights into the situation, capturing the voices of those caught in the crossfire and analyzing the impact on regional trade and international diplomacy.