Desperate to protect her son and flee bombs in Lebanon, this Australian faces an obstacle

by Admin
September 27, 2024

Bombs are falling ever closer to Abbas Wehbe and Batoul Hijazi’s Beirut home — a place they hoped would remain untouched by war as they raise their one-year-old son.

Escalating attacks from in Lebanon’s south over recent weeks have brought the neighbouring war in Gaza to their doorstep.

Wehbe and Hijazi are desperate to leave and join family in Sydney’s south, but with thousands attempting to flee Beirut, flights are limited.

That’s not the only obstacle to their safety.

While Hijazi and her son Adam are Australian citizens, her husband is not.

Wehbe has applied for both partner and visitor visas, which have been in processing for more than two years, with no word from the government.

Hijazi says the delay has given her no choice but to stay in Beirut despite between Israel and Hezbollah.

“I cannot leave without my husband and Adam’s father,” she tells SBS News.

I’m afraid that if I leave for Australia with Adam, I’ll lose all contact and all touch with Abbas.

Batoul Hijazi

“The security updates saying ‘leave when you can’… are just frustrating me. I want to leave, I really do.”

‘I don’t want him to smell blood’

Wehbe was born in Amman, Jordan, in 1991 and moved to Beirut when he was a baby. He has lived in Lebanon his whole life.

When war broke out in 2006 between Israel and Hezbollah, Wehbe was just 14 years old.

The 2006 war between Hezbollah and Israel resulted in the deaths of more than 1,000 Lebanese and the displacement of some one million. Source: AAP / Wael Hamzeh

Over the 34 days the conflict lasted, 30,000 homes were flattened, more than 1,000 people were killed, and another one million displaced.

“I was a child, a teenager: I was not aware of what war means,” Wehbe says.

The trauma Wehbe carries from his war-torn childhood is a strong motivation to protect his son, Adam, from experiencing war in the same way.

“My father, he was taking care of us. Now it’s the opposite: I have a son,” he says.

“I don’t want him to be traumatised. I don’t want him to hear bombs.

I don’t want him to smell blood — I want him to be safe.

Abbas Wehbe

Lebanese people, both in Lebanon and in the diaspora, are drawing parallels between 2006 and the latest escalation. Tuesday marked the deadliest day in decades for Lebanon after an Israeli strike killed 558 people and injured another 1,835.

But what is different this time around is the Australian government’s response.

In 2006, Australia evacuated over 5,000 of its citizens and another 1,200 foreigners from Lebanese ports, with the cooperation of Syria, Jordan, Cyprus and Turkey.

The consular operation was the largest evacuation in Australia’s history, involving 17 ships, 22 Australian aircraft and over 470 buses.

Now, the Australian government is cautioning that not all citizens stuck in Lebanon can be helped.

Addressing reporters in New York this week, Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong said: “Obviously, we will continue to work with partners about what arrangements can be made, but I again say the numbers would render it unlikely that we would be able to help all Australians who are in Lebanon.”

Image of a man, woman and two girls embracing each other.

In 2006, Australia evacuated over 5,000 citizens and 1,200 foreigners from Lebanon, marking its largest evacuation ever, with support from Syria, Jordan, Cyprus, and Turkey. Source: AAP / Sergio Dionisio

The number of Australians in Lebanon is estimated to be 15,000, but there are fears the actual number could be more than double as many regular visitors to the country don’t notify the government ahead of travel.

Government urged to show ‘compassion and expedition’

Lebanon’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Abdallah Bou Habib, has told the United Nations that the country is facing a crisis that “threatens its very existence”.

More than 700 people have been killed over recent days — 92 in the past 24 hours alone.

With Israel’s bombardment of Lebanon now entering a fifth consecutive day, there are growing international calls for a ceasefire, including from Australia, the United States, the European Union and several Arab nations.

But , making the prospect of an all-out war between Israel and Hezbollah all the more likely.

Israel is rejecting global calls for a ceasefire with Hezbollah, defying its biggest ally in Washington and pressing ahead with strikes, including on the edges of the capital. Source: AAP / Bilal Hussein

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has been requesting — for many months — that Australians in Lebanon return home immediately to avoid harm.

“We’ve also been saying to our citizens that they should return home by commercial aircraft while that is available,” Albanese told reporters this week.

“It will be difficult to get everyone out quickly if that is required, which is why people should continue to leave if they can.”

But for families like Abbas and Batoul, it’s not so easy.

The couple’s Australian migration lawyer, George Lombard, is urging the Department of Home Affairs to process Wehbe’s visa urgently.

“We hope that the government will be able to do the right thing and look at the situation with compassion and expedition,” says Lombard, who is the principal solicitor for Playfair Legal.

“Normally, the Department is incredibly quick, but it does have political protocols that it needs to address first, and we understand that.

I just hope that the government will be able to do something about this quickly if it can.

George Lombard, principal solicitor

SBS News contacted the Department of Home Affairs but did not receive a response before the deadline.

Home is where my family is safe

As airstrikes continue to edge closer to their home, Hijazi and Wehbe remain in Beirut — and in limbo.

While they love their home and are proud that their son has a connection to his Lebanese identity, they no longer feel safe.

A couple holds a small child with a birthday cake sitting on the table.

Abbas and Batoul have cancelled Adam’s second birthday celebrations as Israel expands its air campaign to suburbs around Lebanon’s capital. Source: Supplied / Batoul Hijazi

“Of course, I love Lebanon,” Wehbe says.

“But the priority is for my son, for my wife, and I believe that wherever my family is safe, secure, I’ll be happy.

“I will work hard in order to make them happy, to ensure that they are in the right place.

“And I think that Australia is the best place.”