Irish citizen in Lebanon says Nasrallah death 'a shock'

"It is a shock … people went hysterical on the streets …. regardless of whether you were a friend or a foe" … Hassan Nasrallah "was a national figure ... with him gone now the whole country is exposed".

These words are that of an Irish citizen in Lebanon on the death of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.

Wissam Abdel Samad moved back to Lebanon in 2019 after living in Ireland for 12 years in Cork and Dublin, where he worked as a teacher. He had escaped to Ireland from Lebanon in 2007 after the war there the previous year.

Now the 47-year-old finds himself displaced again because Israeli bombing meant he needed to leave Beirut this week for the town of Baakline in the Chouf district of Mount Lebanon.

He has called on the Irish Government to speak out against "Israeli aggression", as the Irish Government called on its citizens in the war zone to return home.

Despite this, Mr Abdel Samad doesn't want to leave Lebanon immediately because he, and a small group of volunteers, are providing aid and food for his extended family and other displaced Lebanese.

In 2019, Mr Abdel Samad returned to Lebanon after he realised buying a home was not possible. He was working as a science teacher in Dublin.

"I left for so many different reasons. My parents were getting old, and the situation in Dublin, specifically with the housing crisis … it was impossible for someone like me to buy," he told RTÉ’s Morning Ireland programme.

He continued to work in education, school management and alternative education systems in Lebanon.

Since Israeli bombardment began last week schools have become refuge accommodation centres for the estimated one million people fleeing the violence in Lebanon.

Mr Abdel Samad has helped internally displaced people looking for shelter and provided bedding and food with a group of volunteers.

At a news conference yesterday, Lebanon's Acting Prime Minister Najib Mitaki said the number of displaced Lebanese was nearing one million, the largest number the country has had to handle.

Mr Abdel Samad, who himself has had to flee to the town of Baakline in Chouf district in Mount Lebanon, said that Lebanon does not have the extra infrastructure for any kind of crisis.

The people he has helped had travelled for days, experiencing bombing, living in fear and without food or water.

"People spent two days on the road to reach the South Mountains, even though that this is a one-hour drive in a car. Israel was bombing. People did not have water for two days, did not have food for two days. When they arrived here, the only spaces that could take them in were the public schools," Mr Abdel Samad said.

He said he and a group of volunteers are providing what they can for those arriving to Chouf district.

"As for now we provide people with the minimum that may make them survive for a few days," he said.

"We, a few people, started collecting donations like clothes, mattresses, blankets, pillows. Because the schools had nothing. People spend their first night on the ground. Now we provide people with food," he added.

Despite the impact of the economic collapse in Lebanon in 2018, people are continuing to help donate what they can as Mr Abdel Samad goes door-to-door looking for help for internally displaces people.

"We are knocking on doors, asking people to just give us anything that they can, but the needs are going to increase with time," he said.

Speaking about the assassination of Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah he said people were in "shock" and that manifested itself on the street.

Mr Abdel Samad said whatever political affiliation people have in Lebanon they were shocked by the Hezbollah leader’s killing as he was a revered and admired figure – part of the backbone of the country. He said the leader’s presence provided a "certain kind of safety" to Lebanon and that is now gone.

"It is a shock … people went hysterical on the streets when they announced it [the death of Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah].

"Here [in schools in Chouf district] the displaced people were shouting in the schools. You could hear the screams of the people.

"This is because he [Nasrallah] managed, regardless of if you agree with his politics or you don't, or regardless if you are a friend or a foe … this man managed to gather people around his character and around his charisma, about a certain kind of safety that presence kind of provided to Lebanon."

He continued: "With him gone now the whole country is exposed. Now they're talking about an Israeli land invasion. He wasn't only a national figure or a figure or just a figure for his own people or Shiite Muslims, he was a national figure.

"He was kind of respected man in Lebanese politics. People used to wait for him to talk, to know what the next steps are. And he was an international figure as well, in the Arab world.

"And, even though, like in Lebanon we have a lot of people who do not agree with his politics or the role that he has been playing. A lot of people as well do not like him. But it was a shock for everyone, for those who are his supporters, and for those who hated his guts," Mr Abdel Samad said.

Speaking about his own situation, Mr Abdel Samad said he is afraid because even after moving from Beirut, the Chouf region, to where he fled, was bombed yesterday.

"The Israelis bombed Chouf region. They bombed the village just next to mine, which is a five-minute drive away," he said.

If a land invasion was to happen, he speculated he would move north.

Read more: Nasrallah led Hezbollah through decades of conflict with Israel

Asked about remaining in Lebanon despite the Government’s warnings that Irish citizens should leave Lebanon.

Mr Abdel Samad said he would remain to help those displaced and his extended family.

He said he hoped the Government would evacuate Irish citizens like him despite the Department of Foreign Affairs saying if the situation deteriorates, it may be limited in assistance that it can provide.

However, Mr Abdel Samad stressed his "head is really elsewhere" and he did not have the "luxury of thinking" about these scenarios because he is focused on helping people as best he can.

He called on the Government to speak out about what is happening in Lebanon.

Mr Abdel Samad said: "We are being killed by Israel, Israeli aggression. They are targeting civilians speak.

"The silence of all of these countries, all these governments around the world is killing us."

He called on the Government to "speak out. Speak up" because he said: that "Lebanese voices are not being heard."