"The Lebanese People are Paying the Price of the War"

Sami Nader spoke with DW-WORLD.DE via telephone from his home about 20 kilometers (12 miles) from the center of the bombing in southern Beirut.

DW-WORLD.DE: What are people around you saying about the bombing that is taking place?

Sami Nader: The people are really horrified by what's taking place. At first, not a lot of them agree with the operation and how Hezbollah started with such an adventure, knowing what the reaction from the Israelis would be. At the end of the day, these people, the Lebanese people, are paying the price of the war.

However, every day that the bombing continues, people are more and more shocked and horrified by the magnitude of the reaction. They are seeing their houses destroyed and their businesses closed and their people transferred from one region to another. Because of all the suffering they are witnessing, they cannot accept to live with what is happening.

What are the people most concerned about at the moment?

They are concerned that things could get worse. That more people will be transferred from the south and that electricity plants could be the next target. Up to now the electricity plants have been avoided, which was not the case in 1996. But if the situation gets worse, I'm afraid this could be the next target. People are afraid the situation will continue for weeks or months. Lebanon does not have the capability to stand such a long war.

How much of everyday life is still continuing?

It depends on the area. In some areas that have been avoided, where there is not a massive presence of Hezbollah, they are witnessing very timid activity. However, all the bridges and main roads that connect one region to another have been systematically targeted by the bombing over the last few days. Regions are cut off from each other, which freezes the all economic activity. What remains is a very local activity in the regions that are not the primary target of the bombing.

Do you have access to necessities like food and water?

It also depends on the region. Some regions, like in the southern part of Beirut are completely devastated. They are receiving aid and help from other regions. Here you can witness solidarity between Lebanese across religions and communities to help each other, even though they don't agree on the political level about what is happening. Despite the fact that they had, or still have, disagreements about the role and nature of the resistance. Among the population, you can see signs of solidarity among the people.

Do you have any access to information about what is happening around you?

We still have some access to the Internet and some access through satellite to international broadcast networks, but this could stop if electricity goes away or more infrastructure is targeted.

There are reports of people trying to flee Lebanon. Have you seen people trying to leave the area?

People are moving from one area to another. Lebanon is still under a blockade from the sea and the air. At first some people could flee the country through Syria, but now this is more and more difficult because the air bombings are targeting the main roads and main bridges. What we are witnessing is a transfer of the population from one area to another, and this is done on purpose. I think one of the aims of the operation is to push the population towards an area to create psychological and popular pressure on the Hezbollah leadership to comply with the ceasefire conditions.

What do you think is the motivation behind the bombing?

I think it started with the single objective of freeing the two soldiers who were captured, but now more and more we see there are signs to put in place a new equation that is more in favor of Israelis' security and for the security of their northern frontiers.

It is true that it is a reaction to an operation that was led by Hezbollah, but it seems clear that it was planned beforehand and that the objective is to come up with a new balance of power that is more favorable to the Israelis and secures their borders.

What do you think are the chances that violence could spread to Syria?

It is my personal analysis, but I cannot believe that Israel today is capable of opening three fronts at the same time. They have a war still going on in Gaza, and they have been kind of forced to open another front in Lebanon, and I hardly believe that they are willing to open a third front in Syria.

What do you think are the chances of a ceasefire?

For the time being, zero. I believe that the peak of violence has not been reached yet. This could take two or three more days.

What do you think will happen when the peak of violence is reached?

There is a general feeling you can sense among international institutions that they are waiting for some radical changes on the ground. Such as Israel succeeding in putting into place a buffer zone at the border.

It will be drastic change either in the internal public opinion or in terms of international pressure to say, "Listen guys, you have to do this."

What international organizations do you think need to increase pressure to bring about a ceasefire?

I think the pressure started with a call from the UN and Tony Blair that they are ready to send an international force to the border between Israel and Lebanon. I think pressure should also come from either the UN or the United States of America with its traditional allies of France and Germany.