Last week, Nour, seven months pregnant, made the difficult decision to leave Lebanon with her husband, seeking safety in Qatar as Israeli airstrikes intensified.

“Our area is still relatively safe, but we decided to leave as a precaution. I’m due in two months, and I can’t take any chances,” said Nour, 31, who requested her last name be withheld. “It’s overwhelming and sad to go, but I have to think about a backup plan. I’m already preparing for the possibility of delivering abroad – it’s far from what I imagined.”

The earliest flight they could secure was 10 days away. “Now, I’m just praying we can depart safely,” she added.

Cross-border hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel broke out nearly a year ago when the Iran-backed militant group began firing on Israel on October 8, 2023, in response to the Israeli military launching its war on the group’s Hamas allies in the Gaza Strip. The violence ramped up significantly last month.

In a sharp escalation early Tuesday, Israel carried out its first ground invasion of southern Lebanon in almost two decades. On the same day, Hezbollah said it targeted an air base in Tel Aviv.

This follows the killing of Hezbollah’s leader Hassan Nasrallah in an Israeli airstrike on his underground bunker last Friday, which dealt a severe blow to the group.

Nasrallah’s killing was the culmination of several startling moves, including a deadly detonation of booby-trapped pagers used by Hezbollah fighters and a two-week wave of airstrikes across the country aimed at the group’s command structures and weapons depots.

This has left many desperate to flee.

Anthony Ishak, a 27-year-old Lebanese expat living in Riyadh, arrived in Lebanon for a two-week vacation just before the recent violence erupted. As the situation escalated, he tried to reschedule his return flight but found no availability. His company eventually secured him a seat for Saturday, September 28, but he couldn’t make it to the airport.

“The bombing in Beirut that night was intense, and the road to the airport was unsafe,” he explained. “I chose not to risk it, and the earliest flight I could book is now October 3.”

Unprecedented displacement crisis

The relentless conflict has wreaked havoc on civilians, with nearly 1,000 Lebanese killed and a million – close to a sixth of the population – have already been displaced from their homes, according to the Lebanese government. Entire sections of southern Beirut have been reduced to rubble, leaving behind vast craters of debris. Aid workers are sounding alarms of yet another brewing humanitarian catastrophe in the region.

“It is the largest displacement movement that may have happened in Lebanon,” said caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati earlier this week.

The UN aid coordinating office, OCHA, reported that 90 percent of the displaced fled within the last week.

Thousands are seeking refuge in makeshift shelters, with more than 500 schools converted into temporary housing where many sleep on classroom floors. Others, unable to find space, are forced to sleep in mosques, under bridges and even in the streets.

Meanwhile, around 100,000 people have reached neighboring war-torn Syria and the outflow continues, according to UNHCR, the UN refugee agency.

Several nations are also updating evacuation contingency plans for their citizens in Lebanon. Cyprus, which played a central role in evacuating 60,000 people during the 2006 war, is expected to be a key hub again. Turkey has also offered assistance.

Escape routes by sea and land

Options for fleeing the country are becoming increasingly limited. Numerous flights have been canceled as major airlines suspend services. Iraqi Airways and Iran Air were the latest to halt all flights to and from Beirut until further notice, citing the deteriorating security situation.

Currently, Middle East Airlines, Lebanon’s national carrier, is the only airline operating, and its flights are fully booked until mid-October due to overwhelming demand.

In search of alternatives, some Lebanese are turning to sea routes, traveling by boat to Ayia Napa in Cyprus or Mersin in Turkey, with the latter being the more convenient option since no visa is required. Passengers who do not have European Union visas – necessary for Cyprus, an EU member – are more likely to opt for Turkish ports. From these locations, they then book onward flights to other destinations.

However, this option comes at a high cost. Travelers are reportedly paying between $1,500 and $2,000 a head, making this escape route feasible only for those who can afford it.

“The fees are high because these are luxury yachts, and for safety reasons, we can only accommodate a limited number of passengers – typically around 10,” said Elie Ghanem, a yacht captain operating the sea route from Dbayeh Marina, about 10 kilometers north of Beirut, to Ayia Napa port on Cyprus’ southeast coast. “The marina looks nothing like before – it’s more like an airport now, packed with families and their luggage, all waiting for the boats to return from previous trips so they can board.”

“We’re making two trips a day, depending on weather and wave conditions. For example, our next departure is on Thursday due to rough seas,” Ghanem told Al Arabiya English. The yacht he captains, at 18 meters in length, cannot safely sail in poor weather.

Ghanem also noted that a lot of people are choosing to depart from Dbayeh Marina, as it is considered a safe zone, far from Israeli targets.

Israel has been targeting Hezbollah positions near Beirut’s Rafic Hariri International Airport, with an airstrike last Saturday hitting just 500 meters from the airport buildings. For Lebanese citizens, this brings back traumatic memories of the 34-day war between Israel and Hezbollah in 2006, when Israeli forces bombed the airport and closed Lebanon’s airspace.

“I’m leaving for my children. They were shaking and crying after the big explosion on Friday evening,” said Jana Aziz, 38, as she prepared to board the boat with her husband and two young daughters. “Our hearts remain here in Lebanon. We will definitely return when the war is over.”

With boat travel proving too costly, some are opting to travel by land via buses to Amman, Jordan.

“Traveling by land costs $100 per person, which is much more affordable than going by boat,” explained Elias Helou, owner of a travel agency in Lebanon. “We’re receiving inquiries by the second; it’s crazy. People are scared, confused and uncertain.”