Barely two miles away, Israeli warplanes begin their near-nightly pummeling of the Dahiyeh, the cluster of Beirut suburbs where Hezbollah holds sway.
Syrians have learned to live with the bloodshed of a conflict that smolders on, 13 years after it kicked off. In years past, residents of cities from Baghdad to Jerusalem managed to continue everyday life amid suicide bombings. As Israeli airstrikes flatten swaths of Lebanon, groups warn the attacks mirror some of the patterns of destruction and displacement seen in Gaza.
Then you plan your life around it. OK, I can go get coffee somewhere. A month after Israel intensified its campaign against Hezbollah with thousands of airstrikes and a ground invasion in the south, the capital now exists in a twilight state, somewhere between war and lull.
In certain parts of the city, you can go about your day, almost blocking out the threat of airstrikes down the street and ignoring the prevalent mood of subdued fear. Shops are open, sidewalk cafes are well patronized and cars clog the streets.
A post shared by nabihbulos. But the difference between safety and danger can be as short as a block. Few vehicles brave the abandoned boulevards; those that do move in furtive dashes: They barrel down the road, slow near the still-smoking ruins of a freshly struck building, then race away.
