Beirut: Toxic air a major health hazard

"With all the dust and smoke in the air, it is unbearable walking around the southern suburbs of Beirut," said Marie Claire Feghali, a journalist with An-Nahar newspaper. "Even while wearing face masks, my colleague and I struggled to breathe. In fact, she has not stopped coughing since our return to the office several hours ago."

The Israeli military campaign in Lebanon followed the capture on 12 July of two Israeli soldiers by the armed wing of the Lebanese political party Hezbollah. After 34 days of conflict, a United Nations-brokered cessation of hostilities came into effect on Monday morning.

During the conflict, Israel's air force carried out approximately 7,000 aerial attacks throughout Lebanon while its navy conducted more than 2,500 bombardments of the Lebanese coast, according to the Israeli military.

This included the bombing of some 10,500 houses and 900 other private buildings in addition to roads, bridges, factories and other infrastructure with the stated intention of "dismantling terror infrastructure".

This destruction has released large amounts of chemical and dust particles into the atmosphere. These chemicals cause long-term health issues such as respiratory problems and cancer.

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