**Tragic Loss in Tyre Amid Escalating Conflict**
BEIRUT — The family WhatsApp group was alive with frantic messages as hostilities heightened. Israel intensified its air assaults on various regions in southern Lebanon, prompting the Gharib family, like many others, to follow the unfolding situation closely.
On September 23, Reda Gharib, currently residing in Senegal, woke up unusually early. As he scrolled through images and videos shared by his relatives, he was horrified to see the devastation unfolding in Tyre, an ancient coastal city in Lebanon where his family lived. His aunts opted to flee to Beirut, but his immediate family chose to remain behind.
Then came a chilling announcement from his father, Ahmed, a retired Lebanese army officer. He informed the family chat that he had received a call from the Israeli military advising them to evacuate to avoid imminent danger. Following that message, the group’s conversation fell silent. Reda later attempted to reach his father but was met with no response.
In a striking turn of events, Reda learned that his family’s apartment had been directly targeted in an Israeli airstrike. They had not managed to evacuate in time. Tragically, Reda’s father, mother Hanan, and his three sisters lost their lives in the attack. “The whole apartment was decimated. It was stripped down to its foundation, as if nothing had ever existed there,” he recounted from Dakar, where he has made a life since 2020.
Israeli military sources stated that they were targeting a Hezbollah site believed to be concealing missile launchers. However, Reda contended that his family had no ties to Hezbollah at all. The force of the strike obliterated their residence, while neighboring apartments experienced only superficial damages, implying that it had been a precise attack aimed specifically at his family’s home.
The September 23 attack was just one of over 1,600 strikes conducted by Israel that day, marking the commencement of a month-long escalation of assaults on Lebanon. According to conflict monitoring organizations, the day saw more than 500 fatalities, a staggering figure seldom seen in Gaza even during the early stages of its conflict.
Israel has committed to severely diminishing Hezbollah’s capabilities to end a year-long cycle of cross-border clashes that escalated following the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, which ignited the ongoing war in Gaza. While Israel claims to focus on Hezbollah operatives and infrastructure, civilians have disproportionately borne the brunt of the violence, with thousands of innocent lives lost, including entire families in their homes.
Once bustling with life, the street where the Gharib family resided, lined with shops and international agency offices in Tyre’s al-Housh district, now lies in ruins and desolation following relentless airstrikes.
Reda, who is 27, left Lebanon seeking a brighter future in Senegal but always harbored dreams of returning home to start a family. He shared a close bond with his sisters, often serving as the confidant and best friend to them as their father frequently was away.
The last visit Reda had with his family took place in May 2023, during which he celebrated with his sister Maya, who recently got engaged and had intentions of tying the knot on October 12. As tensions escalated with Israel, Reda faced uncertainty in attending her wedding, but Maya had assured him that she would delay the ceremony until he could be there.
After the devastating airstrike, Maya’s fiancé, who also served in the army, later found their bodies in the morgue of a Tyre hospital. “She was not destined to have her wedding. Instead, we took her to paradise, dressed as a bride,” Reda lamented. On the date of what was supposed to be Maya’s wedding, he shared photos of her, showcasing her wedding gown.
His sister Racha was on the cusp of graduation as a dentist, with aspirations of establishing her own clinic. “She cherished life,” he recalled. The youngest sibling, Nour, was pursuing a degree in dietetics while preparing to become a personal trainer. Reda affectionately called her the “laughter of the house.”
Now, the remnants of his family exist solely as digital memories on his phone and through social media. “My heart is shattered. But I know the true pain will emerge when I return to Lebanon,” Reda expressed. “Not even a single photograph remains on the walls. Their belongings are gone. The essence of their presence has vanquished from the house. The home they knew is utterly lost.”
“They have taken my family and the memories that I held dear,” he added, encapsulating the profound sense of loss experienced by so many amid the ongoing conflict.