An NHS doctor and her six month old daughter stranded in Lebanon are begging the UK government for help to evacuate.
Manwella Ftouni, husband Abbas and their daughter Jana were visiting extended family when they were caught up in Israel’s all out bombardment of the country last week.
They’re now stuck in a two bedroom flat in the Lebanese capital Beirut with 20 relatives after fleeing their family town of Abbassieh in the south of the country.
The 28-year-old radiology registrar from Glasgow had wanted to introduce baby Jana to her relatives in Lebanon before finishing her maternity leave.
She travelled with her husband and baby at the start of September unaware of the terror that was to come just weeks later.
Now they’re stranded and terrified with bombs going off day and night and no way to get out.
Speaking to the Sunday Mail amid explosions and gunfire Manwella said: “I’m in Beirut at the moment.
“On Thursday we fled from South Lebanon where we were watching neighbouring houses get hit by Israeli airstrikes one by one.
“We came to what we thought was a safe area and now the bombs are coming closer to us here.
“There’s 20 of us in a two bedroom flat. We are not sleeping at all.”
The latest conflict was triggered after gunmen from the militant Islamist group Hamas, based in Gaza, stormed into Israel and took 173 people hostage on October 7 last year.
While some have been released and others confirmed dead, 97 people remain unaccounted for.
The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) have retaliated against Hamas with Hezbollah, based in Lebanon, also firing at Israeli positions in solidarity with Gaza.
Hezbollah is also a proscribed terrorist group in the UK.
Tensions between Israel and Lebanon increased further on September 17 and 18 when 39 people were killed and thousands wounded after pagers and walkie-talkies thought to have been used by Hezbollah exploded.
The group blamed Israel for the sophisticated attack but the country has neither confirmed nor denied the claims.
Around 5000 British Citizens are estimated to be in Lebanon with many struggling to get out amid the rapid escalation of the conflict.
On Friday night the IDF launched a series of massive air strikes in the capital Beirut claiming they were targeting Hezbollah headquarters.
Yesterday the IDF confirmed it had killed the Lebanese group’s leader Hassan Nasrallah during the strikes and said he “will no longer be able to terrorise the world.”
More than 90 people were injured and five others killed
Manwella heard the strikes from the tiny apartment where she was sheltering with her close family and dozens of relatives.
She said: “We were hearing loud explosions all night due to Israeli airstrikes on Beirut and carpet bombing. The whole house was shaking.
“The exhaustion now is taking its toll as we’re not able to sleep.”
Manwella said that while she is focussed on trying to get her daughter out safely she is terrified what the future holds for Lebanon and her aunties, uncles, cousins and grandmother who will have to stay behind.
She said: “I’m trying to understand and grieve the huge number of civilians that have been killed by Israel this week but I find myself consumed by worry.
“Even if I manage to flee Lebanon will my loved ones survive? Will their houses survive? Our memories, our dreams. Everything we value could be lost.
“We’ve been watching the same thing unfold in Gaza for almost a year now. I’m worried that this is now the fate of Lebanon as well.
“Me and my family went to the ceasefire protests in George Square for Gaza. Now we’re asking for a ceasefire for ourselves.”
The doctor said the Foreign office advice is to leave the country immediately and book a flight but with barely any commercial airlines operating in the warzone it’s not an easy task.
She said: “They keep telling us to find a flight and leave immediately. I’m not sure how they expect us to do that.
“We’ve been trying to get on a commercial flight for days but they are all fully booked and very limited.
“We have a flight booked for October 7 but we’re unsure if that will even be possible.
“They need to start evacuating us.”
The Prime Minister has urged UK citizens to leave Lebanon and around 700 troops have been deployed to Cyprus in case a mass evacuation is needed.
Gordon McKee, Labour MP for Glasgow South, has vowed to help Manwella and her family and urged any other constituents in the same situation to contact him urgently.
He said: “There must be a ceasefire in Lebanon immediately and that is what the new UK government is pushing for in the region.
“We are doing everything we can to stop the continued escalation.
“All British citizens must leave Lebanon immediately.
“I would urge any constituent who is stuck in Lebanon or who has family there to contact me and I will do everything I can in partnership with the FCDO to help them reach safety as quickly as possible.”
After the Sunday Mail contacted the Foriegn Office officials got in touch with Manwella and the family have now been offered an earlier flight out of Lebanon.
A Foreign Office spokeswoman said: “Our advice is clear, British nationals should register their presence, book the first available flight and leave now.
“We have worked with partners to increase flights and secure seats for British Nationals to leave and have also sent a Rapid Deployment Team to bolster the efforts of our embassy in supporting British nationals.
“We know it’s a distressing time for British nationals and all people in Lebanon, which is why we are doing everything we can to help.”
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