Jersey citizen stays in Lebanon despite PM's warning to leave
Roisin Gauson interviews Olivia Le Poidevin and others from the Channel Islands who have been caught up in the conflict...
A Jersey citizen has told ITV News she feels she has 'a responsibility to stay' in Lebanon despite a warning to all British nationals to 'leave immediately'.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer urged Britons to get out as fighting between Israel and Hezbollah intensified in the country.
Olivia Le Poidevin, who is an editor and journalist in Beirut, is staying. She told ITV News: "There are no bomb shelters, there's nowhere to run.
"On a personal level it's been difficult because I really feel like I have a responsibility to stay, all of my team are Lebanese and are having to live [through] the horrors of what's happening."
She says the country has been battered within the space of a week, with schools turned into field hospitals and shelters for the displaced, events and all flights cancelled.
She said: "The most stressful thing I've had to face this week is helping my colleague try and leave the south whilst her village was being bombarded.
"While we were on the phone I literally heard the strikes happening."
She added: "I'm pleased to say she made it out but it hit very very close to home.
"Another colleague of mine her house has been completely destroyed."
Nadine Olayan's family sent her this distressing footage as they fled from their village.
Nadine Olayan who is from Lebanon, but now lives in Jersey said her family were forced to flee their home yesterday, their village is just 25 minutes from the border with Palestine and Israel.
Nadine said: “We couldn’t communicate for a few hours, they couldn’t communicate with each other for a few hours, so they know they are all on the road, but they don’t know ‘are they safe - are they still alive – did anyone get bombed?
"It’s so stressful for me because I’m trying to grab any information, let me know something, someone talk to me.”
Guernseyman and former Arab specialist in the British Army Major Edwin Parks said: "This escalation into Lebanon is terrifying, but it seems clear that Israel's intention is to completely destroy Hezbollah – at least make it ineffective."
He added: "I would love to go back to Beirut, it’s one of my favourite cities in the world, it’s wonderful and the people are wonderful and everything else, but the risk factor now is so high."
But for those on the ground, the situation is growing every more grave.
Olivia said: "It's devastating and I really just pray there is some kind of political solution out of this. But as it stands I don't feel hopeful."
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