Living Under Bombs: Beirut Father Shares His Family's Struggle to Survive and Stay Strong

© Photo : Jaafar Zalzali

Christina Malyk

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Jaafar Zalzali and his family live not far from Beirut’s devastated Dahiyeh district, though in a slightly safer area. Still, the family has endured the terror of recent Israeli air raids and shares their life under attack through social media.

Father of five, Jaafar shares with Sputnik the difficulties of raising children in constant danger, he has to explain his kids what's going on, and what he feels as a Lebanese looking at all the disaster.

Every Night Under Heavy Bombardment

Jaafar, a successful blogger, runs the popular YouTube channel Maria & Cataleya. Several videos capturing the heavy air raids on Beirut, filmed by his wife Jinan, have gone viral across social media. Jaafar shared that he encouraged Jinan to record these moments to show the world the harsh reality of what was happening in Beirut these days.

"Our five kids was hearing shooting and popping these bombs. We live [close to] Dahiyeh, [but] in safer area, and we can see from our house what is happening," he said.

As the situation in Lebanon continues to escalate, the constant air raids have stretched on for nearly two agonizing weeks. Jaafar shared that the last two nights in Beirut were especially brutal, filled with fear and destruction. He admitted that even worse bombings are likely still to come.

"The last two nights were very hard. And we expect more and more hard nightsBut let me tell you something. I lived in many wars, but I am 37. I'm not that old, but at least I lived three wars with this enemy. And the hardest was in 2006. If I want to stand for Lebanon and to stay in Lebanon, this is part of our culture. I'm very sad to say that."

Not Ready to Flee, but Have Evacuation Plan

Nevertheless, Jaafar is not planning to flee his home with his family, even though they live near the Dahiyeh area—the most heavily bombed district in Beirut. However, he does have an emergency plan in place to protect his children.

“I am a human being. Of course, I get scared too,” Jaafar says. “It’s impossible to move around Lebanon right now. We don’t know what’s waiting on the roads. We’re living in constant fear—air raid sirens, bombs falling from all directions.”

Jaafar has prepared an evacuation plan, ready for when the time comes, but his family is paralyzed by trauma. “Maybe one day we will move all together out of this area when it would not be safe enough,” he acknowledges, with his voice heavy under a burden no parent should bear.

Being a father of 5 children, Jaafar tries to do his best to explain his children the situation and provide support they need - according to kids' age.

Jaafar feels it’s his duty to help his family make sense of the chaos. His older sons are starting to understand the grim political realities unfolding in Lebanon, but his younger daughters? They just need hugs, he says, they need to see their parents – strong and unbroken, guiding them through the nightmare.

“This what we can make it as a father and mother to support our children,” he concludes.

There are More and More Displaced People

As the IDF expands its targeting, the number of displaced people is growing. “You never know where [Israel] will bomb next,” Jaafar says. “People are forced to move, again and again,” he noted, uprooted with no warning or no time to prepare.

The toll is staggering. The number of displaced families grows daily. According to the Lebanese government, 1.2 million people have been forced from their homes by Israeli airstrikes, their lives shattered, and left to wander in search of safety.

Jaafar describes the devastation to the city. His aunt, his father’s sister, lost everything – her house, her belongings, everything she had built over the years. “But she’s safe,” he says, as hope for the better is the only solace in the world falling apart around them.

“Every day is a tragedy [in Lebanon]. Every day [brings] hard news for us as a family,” he noted.

Unity is Strongest Weapon of Lebanon

At the same time, it's hard for Jaafar as a Lebanese to describe deep emotions he feels right now.

"They [the Israelis] are very strong in making this genocide inside Lebanon and to kill people, to make the community afraid. And that's not happening. The community is supporting each other, but one meter since yesterday till now, did not go back to our enemy, and I see what’s happening. This is our people, our heroes that fighting Lebanon."

Jaafar believes that the unity among the Lebanese people, across all regions and faiths, is their greatest strength. "This is our strongest weapon against the enemy," he concluded.

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20241004/living-under-bombs-beirut-father-shares-his-familys-struggle-to-survive-and-stay-strong-1120413796.html

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