This is a message from Mutasim Khalaf, a Syrian-Palestinian journalist currently in Lebanon.
I am in Lebanon documenting the bombing of densely populated neighborhoods in the capital Beirut, where people have been trying to escape every day since Israel began its attacks and occupation on September 23. As of today, at least 2,672 people have been killed here and over 1.2 million people displaced. The atrocities we have been watching taking place in Gaza are being repeated in Lebanon.
Can you imagine what all of this means? Hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees in Lebanon have been forced from their homes yet again. Many face arbitrary arrest and torture if they return to Syria – yet have no choice but to escape the bombs and severe lack of protection in Lebanon, carrying only their essentials in bags. The ongoing military, political and economic support to Israel’s occupation by governments, including the United Kingdom, reveals how human life has become worthless to so many.
Now British prime minister Keir Starmer is calling for a ceasefire but it’s crucial that we pressure him to back his demand and stop sending arms to Israel. The UK is currently shipping parts for F-35 fighter jets, which have recently been used to bomb Gaza and are implicated in war crimes. If people across Britain urge your MPs to speak out in parliament, it’s not too late to build cross-party pressure to save civilians under attack.
Photo: Syrian activist Lubna Al-Kanawati outside the United Nations in Geneva
There are more than a million and a half Syrian refugees in Lebanon. The numbers strip them of their humanity. Mariam, a Syrian mother displaced from southern Lebanon, told me how this nightmare began: “We were displaced to Masnaa by the border, when about 10 days ago, a warplane bombed here too. I have a 6-year-old daughter whose hair turned grey from fear because the sound of the bombing was so loud.”
The story of Mariam is the story of thousands of Syrians enduring this tragic situation: homeless, abandoned, and facing systemic discrimination, including being denied access to emergency shelters in Lebanon. Syrians urgently need protection and safe routes out of conflict areas.
No part of Syria is safe. Returning to Syria means exchanging one hardship for another, including fears of imprisonment, torture and being forced to serve in Assad’s army, infamous for its crimes against humanity. The severe risks in regime-held areas are underscored by the fact that some refugees are even crossing into northern Syria, outside of regime control, despite a brutal escalation in attacks by Russia and the regime.
Once again, Syrians are isolated and abandoned by the UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, and the international community but you can demand action. The UK is a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, so it has the power to lead the international community to achieve a ceasefire. Civilians are not collateral damage. This month France called for an end to arms sales to Israel and the UK must do the same.
Before leaving I want to share with you the story of Laila, a Syrian refugee who, a couple of weeks ago, decided to return to Syria with her husband and her twin babies to escape Israeli bombardment. As soon as they crossed the border, Laila’s husband was arrested by Assad’s officials and disappeared without a trace. “I wished that me and my family had stayed together on the streets of Lebanon under the missiles rather than return to Syria”, Laila said.
Please stand with Mariam, Laila and thousands of Syrians and civilians at risk in Lebanon, Palestine and Syria, and demand that your MP and the UK act now.
With gratitude,
Mutasim