**Tensions Rise in Beirut as Israeli Attacks Continue**
The sound of war can be heard at night in the Achrafieh neighborhood of Beirut, where residents are hearing Israeli air attacks hitting the southern suburbs of the capital. Some people are even seeing explosions from their balconies.
**Neighborhood Watch Steps In**
To deal with the influx of displaced people, a neighborhood watch was created decades ago to reassure residents about crime. However, its mission has changed in recent years. Volunteers in uniform patrol the predominantly Christian neighborhood, coordinating their operation. Nadim Gmayel, who is behind the neighborhood watch, says they are concerned about the needs of the displaced people and are working with the army and security forces to protect them.
**Tensions Between Communities**
The influx of people from Shia Muslim areas, where Hezbollah is strong, into Sunni Muslim or Christian areas has increased tensions. A recent Israeli strike in Aitou killed 23 people and shocked the Christian community. Some building management companies have asked residents for their identity details, and leaflets asking Hezbollah members to leave have been distributed.
**Fear of Targeting**
Residents are afraid that wealthy Shia families who arrived from the south of Lebanon and Dahieh might be targeted by Israel. They believe that Israel will not stop until Hezbollah has been completely disarmed. Nadim Gmayel says either Israel destroys all of Lebanon, which would be catastrophic, or Hezbollah surrenders and gives up its arms.
**Shelter Crisis**
In the Hamra neighborhood, thousands of people have moved in, causing traffic jams and changing the mood of the area. Fast food and shisha cafes are now the mainstays of nightlife, replacing bars and party-goers. Building owners are evicting people from their properties, leaving families like Fatima al Haj Yousef worried about what to do next.
**Concerns About Safety**
Fatima’s three-and-a-half-year-old daughter suffers from cancer and needs medication. She is mainly worried about finding a safe and clean place for her daughter to live. Another man who lived with his five children in the same building shares this view, saying that the landlord wants them gone because they are Shia Muslims.
**Resistance Movement**
A Hezbollah worker believes that the building is being cleared out because the residents are displaced families who support the resistance movement. Many people here believe that Israel will not stop until Hezbollah has been completely disarmed.