### Beirut Explosion Worsens Displacement Crisis Amid Intensifying Israeli-Hezbollah Conflict

Beirut, Lebanon - A sudden explosion Friday evening severely damaged Dina’s home in the Burj al-Barajneh Palestinian refugee camp in Beirut. The blast, triggered by an Israeli air attack, flattened nearby apartments in Dahiyeh, killing Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and an unknown number of civilians, and leaving many destitute.

As the shock waves shattered windows, blew doors off their hinges, and ravaged structures in the camp, chaos erupted. Amidst the panic, Dina found her 12-year-old brother and ran down the stairs, only to discover their mother covered in debris but alive. Helping her mother to safety, Dina knew that more bombs were imminent.

The Israeli offensive escalated in mid-September, severely affecting southern Lebanon and displacing about one million people, the majority within the last week, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). Lebanon’s caretaker government, already embroiled in a severe economic crisis and without a president, struggled to meet the needs of the displaced population. Thousands now find shelter on classroom floors, mosques, and even in the streets.

Karim Emile Bitar, a professor of international relations at Saint Joseph University in Beirut, warned that Israel's recent ground offensive could worsen the humanitarian crisis. Describing the scale of displacement, he compared it to the 1982 Israeli invasion of Lebanon. As Israel announced further offensives, civilians from 29 towns in southern Lebanon were ordered to evacuate.

For many, including Abdel Latif Hamada, fleeing to safety in Beirut has been a harrowing ordeal. Following initial bombings, Hamada saved a trapped neighbor before embarking on a perilous 14-hour journey to the capital, witnessing bombings and clearing debris along the way. The ongoing conflict has displaced him multiple times throughout his life, including during the 2006 Israeli assault that killed his wife.

Civilians and analysts alike are concerned that the displacement crisis could become permanent. Michael Young from the Carnegie Middle East Centre suggested that Israel’s strategy could be to create a sustained humanitarian crisis in Lebanon, particularly targeting areas affiliated with Hezbollah. Questions loom over the fate of evacuated villages and whether they will be permanently uninhabitable.

Despite the dire situation, both Dina and Hamada express a determined resolve to return home. With conditions in displacement shelters dwindling, Dina’s father and sister have already attempted to go back to Burj al-Barajneh, now eerily empty. Amidst growing fears that Lebanon might follow Gaza’s fate, Dina reinforces a common sentiment: "This is a war on civilians."