'It has hit home for all of us': Lebanese Americans fear for loved ones amid Israeli invasion

In the heart of Arab America, it Is difficult to find a family not affected by the escalating conflict

Najah Harb waves a Lebanese flag above her head as hundreds gather for a rally in support of Lebanon in Dearborn, Michigan. AP

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Hussein Dabajeh of Dearborn, Michigan, says he has lost six relatives in southern Lebanon over the past two weeks.

His grandmother, 98, has had to move three times since being forced from her home in the village of Bint Jbeil, and every day he anxiously awaits text messages from his cousins to make sure they are still alive.

In Dearborn, the capital of Arab America, it is difficult to find a family who has not been affected by the latest escalation, he says. “It's impacted just about everyone,” Mr Dabajeh tells The National. “It has hit home for all of us.”

Israel began a ground invasion of southern Lebanon on Tuesday, escalating the conflict with Iran-backed Hezbollah. On Thursday, Israel ordered more residents to flee villages and towns in the area, and increased air strikes across the country, including in Beirut. Lebanon’s Health Minister said nearly 2,000 people have been killed in Israeli attacks over the past year.

On Tuesday, an Israeli air strike killed Kamel Ahmad Jawad, 56, a father of four from Dearborn, his daughter, Nadine Jawad, said in a statement.

Mr Jawad was volunteering in his hometown of Nabatieh, the statement said, and in his final days, he chose to stay near a local hospital to help the elderly and disabled.

“Our father’s message was clear: stop arming, aiding and abetting our oppression and start caring for the people struggling for their freedom and dignity,” Ms Jawad said.

A National Security Council spokesman told The National: “We are deeply saddened by the death of Kamel Ahmad Jawad and our hearts go out to his family and friends. His death is a tragedy, as are the deaths of many civilians in Lebanon.”

On Friday, a State Department representative told The National the department was "aware and alarmed" over reports of Mr Jawad's death and extended condolences to the family. 

"We are working to understand the circumstances of the incident. As we have noted repeatedly, it is a moral and strategic imperative that Israel take all feasible precautions to mitigate civilian harm," it said. "Any loss of civilian life is a tragedy."

About 1.5 million people of Lebanese descent live in the US, representing a significant proportion of the Arab-American community.

Imad Hamad, director of the American Human Rights Council, an Arab-American organisation based in Michigan, says the vast majority of Lebanese people in Dearborn have strong connections to the south, with many spending summers and holidays there with family, and having homes and businesses there.

“People think it's a political position. It's not political – it's personal, people are impacted directly,” Mr Hamad, a Palestinian refugee who grew up in the south of Lebanon, tells The National. “People are not sleeping, people are glued to televisions. They're trying desperately to have news and help their loved ones.”

He says his sister has taken in relatives in her small home and has decided to stay put, unable to afford to move or to pay the high rental costs in safer areas.

Mr Hamad's organisation is trying to assist dozens of Lebanese Americans who are trapped in the country. Only one airline is still operating and getting a seat is exceedingly difficult, with tickets costing thousands of dollars.

The US State Department says about 7,000 US citizens in Lebanon have registered to leave, but it has not organised evacutions for all as yet. On Thursday, the State Department said two flights carrying a total of 250 American citizens and their immediate family members have been evacuated from Beirut to Istanbul.

US officials have been calling on the Biden administration to do more to get US citizens out of Lebanon. On Tuesday, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer reportedly wrote to Secretary of State Antony Blinken saying it was “imperative” for everyone to work together “to bring Michiganders to safety and back with their families immediately”.

Rashida Tlaib, a Congresswoman from Michigan, says 148 residents from her district have been trying to leave Lebanon. The State Department “is leaving Americans behind and failing to protect their own citizens”, she wrote in a post on X.

Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh said that “from very early on, the State Department has issued travel warnings against travelling to Lebanon, encouraging American citizens in Lebanon to get out via commercial options”.

“The US military is, of course, on the ready and has a whole wide range of plans," Ms Singh said. "Should we need to evacuate American citizens out of Lebanon, we absolutely can, and they can be implemented. We haven’t been called to do that.”

The administration of President Joe Biden has faced intense criticism, particularly from Arab Americans, for its support of Israel in the Gaza war, and now its expansion into Lebanon.

Israel's invasion of Lebanon comes after nearly a year of war in Gaza, which was started by a Hamas attack that killed about 1,200 people. More than 41,700 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza in the past 12 months, and much of the coastal enclave has been reduced to rubble