Lebanon’s Tyre Beach Ready for Summer Season Despite Border Tension with Israel
(AWP) - As tensions flare in southern Lebanon, with cross-border shelling between Hezbollah and Israel a near-daily occurrence since the war erupted in the Gaza Strip more than seven months ago, owners of beach camps in the city of Tyre have not lost hope for a good tourist season this summer.
Like every year, dozens of workers were busy pitching camps for summer vacationers. They said that the situation in coastal areas was calm, and that nothing should make visitors, either from within Lebanon or from abroad, concerned.
Amal Ouazni, a beach camp owner, said that life never stops in Tyre.
“As locals of Tyre, we love life and its joys. Nothing can stop us. Despite the circumstances, we decided today to start our summer activities, since we know for sure that we will receive visitors from Tyre and elsewhere in Lebanon,” she explained.
Ghaly Safiyeldin, another beach camp owner, said, “This is our work, bread and land. It is true that the security condition is poor, but we will resist it, so that the whole world can see that we are here, and that we are not going to give up our lands or homeland.”
“We are working under very tough security conditions. We do not know how things will end up,” he added.
Salah Sabrawy, the Deputy Chief of Tyre municipality, said that the sea season for Tyre’s city, people and municipality is very important.
“We used to receive more than 700,000 visitors during the summer season every year, and not only for swimming. Their visits were an important part of the city’s economic cycle,” he asserted.
The border areas between southern Lebanon and northern Israel have witnessed exchanges of shells between the Israeli forces and Hezbollah since the Israeli war broke out on the Gaza Strip in October, 2023.