Hundreds dead and missing as Lebanon airstrikes continue

On Sept. 23, at 6:30 a.m., Lebanon was greeted by the first wave of Israeli air strikes.  

Since then, they have kept on coming. Destruction is occurring more and more by the hour, as people are forced out of their homes 

Those who were unable to escape are now displaced, with no place to go. Yet others have been killed by falling debris and collapsing buildings 

People in other parts of the world are seeing these events unfold on television and social media. 

Local Windsorite, Naz Chams, 57, who has family in Lebanon, expresses his grievances towards the matter. 

“I’m hurt to say the least,” said Chams. ”It saddens me to see a paradise get destroyed yet again. The innocent lives lost on both sides… a life is a life, no matter what race, colour, or creed,” 

Naz witnessed a traumatizing event on television- involving his family. 

“On my mothers side, my two sister-in-laws are missing. They’re believed to be buried under the rubble from their high-rise building that was hit two days ago in Beirut,” Chams explains. “They are alongside my 29 year old cousin and her 31 year old husband, as well as their two children under the age of 10.” 

This is not the first time Chams has witnessed tragedy. Being born in 1967, he lived through the 74-75 war with Lebanon and Israel, and again in 77-78 with his mother and three brothers.   

 “We caught the last plane out of Beirut before they bombed the airport. I was 10-11, and my brothers were five, six and seven.”, Chams recalls. “I remember my mother crying the whole trip to Canada, where my father escaped before us and came here, rented a house, and got it ready for us.” 

Chams hopes that people can come together and show their support for what’s happening in the Middle East.  

“I greatly appreciate the international community, especially here in North America. “, he says. “I hope to see two of the greatest nations on earth stand up not just in solidarity with Palestine and Lebanon, but for Russia and Ukraine and anywhere civilian casualties outweigh the men and women who are fighting in combat.”, said Chams. 

 Naz believes that people should set aside their differences to come together.  

“It shouldn’t matter where we come from, who or what we believe in, or sexual orientation. We are only one race, the human race.”