Every day Sarah Naameh, who was born in Lebanon but lives in California, wakes up and contacts family and friends in different cities in that country to see if they are still safe after the airstrikes that began two weeks ago.
“There is a sense of paralysis because it really seems like there is nothing that can be done, especially as Americans,” explained Naameh, about 23 years old.
She says one of her cousins, who is pregnant and has another young child, reported her windows completely shattered by an attack and had to flee her home like many others.
A year after the Hamas attack, Israel launched airstrikes into southern Lebanon, where up to 1 million people have fled their homes.
As of October 4, Lebanon’s Health Ministry has announced that more than 2,000 people have been killed in Israeli attacks in the country, including 127 children and 261 women.
Additionally, an estimated 1.2 million people have fled their homes and between 200,000 and 300,000 refugees from Palestine, Lebanon and Syria have crossed into Syria to escape the attacks, according to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR).
The militant group Hezbollah began attacking Israeli positions in the border region since October 8, 2023.
Israel says its goal is to secure the return home of its citizens displaced by Hezbollah attacks since last year, according to a Reuters report.
Due to the fear that several communities in Southern California feel about expressing themselves openly about the war in Gaza, a person of Lebanese origin in Los Angeles spoke with La Opinión on condition of anonymity.
“It’s very sad for everyone, at the end of the day there is a lot of loss of life,” he said. “It always affects you and makes you sad to know that we are still seeing these types of wars in this era.”
His family fled Lebanon during the civil war that began in 1975 and now he says that another part of his family has fled the town where his ancestors lived.
He hopes that people recognize that Lebanese citizens are happy, open, and like Latinos, they love to be with their families, celebrating when they can.
He adds that his family in Lebanon has had difficulty leaving the country due to frequent flight cancellations and has noticed that many need medicine, mattresses, coats and food among other basic needs.
In an AP report, it was reported that thousands of people have taken refuge in schools and others have also had to sleep on the streets or beaches due to the lack of shelters.
William Robinson, a sociology professor at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB), who researches conflicts in the Middle East, says the situation could get out of control.
Compared to Iran’s attacks, which to date have only targeted military bases, Robinson stressed that Israel took a different approach in Gaza and Lebanon.
“The Israelis don’t care at all about civilian casualties,” Robinson explained. “They have killed 42,000 Palestinians – in Gaza – the vast majority of them women and children.”
In 2020, Naameh began supporting another cousin named Tarek, who does community work in Lebanon and was injured due to protests during the country’s civil war.
He also began sending money to organizations such as Beit el Baraka, the Lebanese Red Cross, Offre Joie and Nation Station that support displaced people with basic resources.
According to Naameh, the money donations have been used for food, free medicine, mattresses, blankets, hygiene kits and sanitary pads.
Someone recently contacted her through Instagram, where she normally collects donations, asking for assistance.
Luckily, Naameh’s cousin Tarek knew someone who could help that person.
“We were able to send her grandmother the diapers and medications she needed and it was so encouraging that from here we could do something there,” said the young activist.
With the US elections in his sights, Professor Robinson does not expect any changes with a new administration as both candidates (Donald Trump and Kamala Harris) have expressed the same support as President Biden for Israel.
Although Robinson describes the situation as bleak, there is still hope to lessen the impacts of the conflict.
“Maybe if Harris wins, she will tell the Israeli government to calm things down because this is getting too dangerous,” Robinson said. “That would be the best possible scenario.”
Naameh adds that he has raised $15,000 and uses donations offered by corporations.
“I feel really bad all the time and it makes me feel a little better to think I can do something to help anyone who is doing the real work.”
Naameh asks anyone who wants to send money to check if their workplace has a matching policy, as there can be a big difference because American money goes further in Lebanon.
According to World Population Review, there are about 64,000 people of Lebanese origin in California, however, some activists consider that number to be too conservative.