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Since Israel started an intense bombing campaign across parts of Lebanon on 23 September, luxury yacht charters have been making a different kind of journey.

Only a short while ago these luxury boats could be seen cruising Lebanon’s coastline with revellers enjoying spectacular sunset and bubbly aboard the million-dollar crafts. These days there is no champagne, only fearful people carrying whatever they can to escape the bombings.

At $1,800 (R32,000) a head, these families are being ferried from Beirut to Cyprus, and according to the charters, the demand is growing along with the desperation.

According to Khailil Bechara, a broker who works with ship captains to transport people to Cyprus, “The trips are fully booked, we have done about 30 trips on our two boats since the bombing started on 23 September”.

Israel’s military campaign has killed nearly 2,000 people and wounded more than 9,000 since fighting between it and Hezbollah started on 8 October last year, with most of those casualties incurred since 23 September. More than 1 million people have been displaced since then.

With only Lebanon’s national flag carrier, Middle East Airlines, willing to fly there, people have been fighting for the few seats left on departing flights, while embassies have been chartering private flights for their nationals. But some private jets are now refusing to touch down at the airport, leaving fewer options for people to flee the warzone.

 

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Instagram has since been flooded with sponsored posts offering boats for those looking to exit Lebanon by whatever means necessary. Some boats even resemble ones that have for years left the northern Lebanese port of Tripoli bound for Cyprus or Italy, overflowing with Syrian refugees seeking a better life.

“Lots of people have been asking for these trips … Even though the airport is still open, people who have money are willing to pay.”

However, most Lebanese people cannot afford a space on luxury yachts, and many do not even have the visa required to land on Cyprus’ shores. For these people, getting out is proving harder every day.

@thenationalnews“Things just escalated so quickly”: Lebanese families flee to Cyprus on yachts as limited flights out of the country have been booked up, following heavy Israeli bombardment♬ original sound – The National News

The Lebanese government has stated that approximately 300,000 people have fled from Lebanon into Syria in the previous ten days, but on Friday morning, Israel attacked Masnaa, Syria’s primary border crossing, after claiming that Hezbollah was exploiting it to transport weapons into Lebanon. Doing so cut off a major route for people fleeing the madness.

“I never imagined or accepted to leave Lebanon fleeing. I might have left here because I found a better opportunity elsewhere, this is life. But being forced to leave, no one would accept this.”

[source:guardian]