Hussein Hachem hugged his injured daughter, Mariam, as she arrived in Dakar. The 11-year-old was one of 117 Senegalese nationals evacuated from Lebanon amid escalating violence.
Hachem’s 14-year-old son was killed in a bombing that destroyed their home. “I lost everything. I lost my son,” Hachem said at the airport.
Emotional scenes unfolded as families reunited late Saturday. Hachem recounted his last moments with his son, saying, “Ten minutes later, they called me: ‘there’s no more house, no more son.’”
The conflict intensified as Israeli forces targeted southern Lebanon and Beirut’s suburbs. Senegal’s Foreign Minister, Yassine Fall, condemned the bombardment of civilians, confirming about 1,000 Senegalese were in Lebanon before the flight.
Fall expressed disappointment over global inaction regarding civilian casualties. “We are watching a genocide happen before our eyes,” she said.
In response, demonstrators marched in Dakar on Saturday, condemning Israel’s actions and demanding a ceasefire. The situation remains tense as calls for peace grow louder amid ongoing violence.
