After the roar of Israeli warplanes terrified her baby grandson, Umm Hassan’s family sought solace on a south Lebanon beach, hoping to escape the escalating cross-border violence.

Life goes on but “the children are frightened”, the 60-year-old told AFP from the beach in Tyre, about 20 kilometres from the Israel-Lebanon frontier.

Women in two-piece swimsuits tanned in the sun, while others fully clothed and wearing head coverings enjoyed the waves, even as the bombardment sometimes echoed in the distance.

Against the backdrop of the ongoing cross-border fire, Umm Hassan’s one-year-old grandson played in the sand with his mother Fatima, in a moment of tranquillity.

Editorial

Updated 01 Aug, 2026

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