The families of Hezbollah victims standing outside the American University Hospital in Beirut looked tired, sad and depressed, thinking about their loved ones losing their eyesight, fingers or arms in a matter of seconds.
Lebanon was hit for two days in a row by explosions of numerous technical devices, believed to be coordinated by Israel, in areas controlled by the pro-Iranian Hezbollah militia.
“The situation of the wounded we have treated is catastrophic,” Bahaa Noureddine, chief ophthalmologist at American University Hospital, said Thursday.
Noureddine and his team have performed more than 40 surgeries on the wounded since Tuesday, adding that 25 more operations are pending.
“Most of the wounded are suffering from shock and depression,” he said. The psychological effects are “very, very strong and severe.”
“The relatives are also in shock. They cannot believe that their family members have gone blind or lost an arm or fingers in a few seconds,” says Noureddine.
Most of the wounded he treated were between 20 and 35 years old. “There were a few women among them,” he said.
The shock was also great among non-Hezbollah members and the ordinary Lebanese population. They had already been traumatized in 2020 when a large quantity of ammonium nitrate stored in the port of Beirut exploded, killing more than 200 people and injuring 6,000 others.
“I’m afraid to touch my mobile phone,” says 30-year-old Amir from the port city of Tyre in southern Lebanon.
Amir is one of the many Lebanese who now dare not walk on the streets and stay away from cars for fear of an explosive device in their way.
According to official figures, about 3,000 people were injured and 37 killed in explosions of various electronic equipment on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Many of the victims were said to be Hezbollah members, but there were also civilians among them. According to the authorities, at least two children were killed.
“The Lebanese population has become increasingly vulnerable over the years, especially since 2020. This will increase their suffering and push them into a state of depression,” psychiatrist Elio Sassine told dpa.
Lebanon has been in a stalemate for almost a year, with the country often teetering on the brink of open war with neighboring Israel.
“We are exhausted,” said Nour, a student from Beirut’s southern suburbs.
“We haven’t had peace for months,” she said.
