Africans Stranded in Lebanon: “We Want to Leave, But We Can’t”

 Yulita Jirob, a Kenyan woman in her mid-thirties, makes a living as a domestic worker in Lebanon and has been living in the suburbs of Beirut for the past 14 months.

 In recent weeks, Yulita has grown accustomed to hearing loud explosions that she had never experienced before.

 Speaking about these sounds, Yulita said: “They were terrifying. We were told they were bombs, but they were the sounds of planes breaking the sound barrier. It was incredibly difficult to cope with.”

 The loud noise in the sky was caused by fighter jets. Israel and the Lebanese Hezbollah group have been exchanging fire across the border almost daily since October 7, following the outbreak of conflict between Hamas and Israel, which remains ongoing.

 In recent weeks, fears have grown that this conflict could widen, especially after Hezbollah confirmed the killing of one of its senior leaders in an Israeli airstrike in Beirut on July 31.

 Israel is also accused of being behind the killing of Hamas political bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh during his visit to the Iranian capital Tehran, prompting the Iranians to vow retaliation against Israel.

 Hezbollah, a Shia group in Lebanon, receives support from Iran and claims it is attacking Israel in support of the Palestinian people.