Lebanon holds its breath and hopes for peace

An uneasy calm has fallen over Beirut that residents are preying is not the calm before the storm.

In Tripoli tanks are on the streets after at least 10 people died since Monday, and a ceasefire appears to be keeping Sunni and Alawite gunmen quiet.

Everyone appears terrified about a return to civil war.

“We insist on toppling the government and the other politicial groups must understand that we, the opposition, are open to forming a neutral government that does not constitute any provocation for any group. The new government must lead this difficult stage and lead the country to the parliamentary elections,” said the pro-Hariri Sunni politician Khaled Zahrouman from the Mustaqbal party.

While it is quiet now everyone seems to be expecting somethng to happen.

“From 20 years ago I have this fear. Not only about Lebanon, but about all the Middle East. I did everything to get my sons out of Lebanon. I didn’t want them to stay here,” said one man.

The army has arrested over 100 people, but will that be enough to calm the passions aroused by the past few days?

“Life is back to normal or so it seems in the centre of Beirut, just one day after the clashes over the death of Wissam al Hassan. No-one can predict what will happen here, the situation is open to all possibilities,” says euronews correspondent Jamel Ezzedini.

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