British mum flees Lebanon with two children

Mahasen al-Dada has lived with her husband and two sons in Lebanon since 2023

A British woman has told how she has been forced to flee Lebanon with her two young sons, leaving her husband behind.

Due to the escalating conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, the UK Foreign Office earlier this week urged Britons to leave the Middle East country as quickly as possible.

Mahasen al-Dada, who moved to Lebanon from Manchester in 2023, said her husband could not leave because he had to care for his disabled father.

She was able to return to the UK on Wednesday with her children on a government-chartered flight from Beirut to Birmingham.

Mrs al-Dada, a psychology and criminology graduate, told the BBC her emotions were "all over the place" after the couple decided she would leave.

She said they made the decision for the safety and future of their children who were no longer able to go to school because of the worsening security situation.

"I've been crying for two days," she said.

"The children were crying and asking me questions I couldn't even answer. My six-year-old is so little he's not going understand to how visas work and how war happens.

"But it's for the safety and future of our children, they should be in school."

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Israel has stepped up its aerial assault of Beirut in the past week, targeting areas in the city's south that it said was home to Hezbollah leaders and military equipment.

It comes after Hezbollah launched rockets at northern Israel and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer has told British nationals in Lebanon they "must leave now" as fighting continues.

Mahasen al-Dada feared the fighting was coming ever closer to her home

Mrs al-Dada said she was notified that a flight was available on Monday but had to wait until the following day for seats to be confirmed.

"We're doing well now my kids are feeling a little bit better. They're less stressed now," she said.

"My mum was so happy we're back. My dad hasn't been sleeping. He was up watching the news and ringing to check we're ok."

She said she hopes her husband may be able to join the family in the UK soon.

She said he applied for a visa on Wednesday and a note has been placed on his file to show he has a family in the UK.

'Really emotional'

Mrs al-Dada said he was initially hesitant to leave his parents and siblings behind, but seeing how upset their children were changed his mind.

"He got really emotional and I think it changed his mind," she said.

"He said he just wants to visit, even if it means he'll be coming here and going back."

Mrs al-Dada said she felt selfish for leaving loved ones behind and hoped to return to Lebanon when possible.

"I feel like I made the right decision for my children. I'm happy that I have another place to call home. I'm Lebanese but I'm British as well, and I'm lucky that I have a government that cares for me," she continued.

"I feel a bit selfish that I had to leave loved ones behind. Other people would love to be in my place and have somewhere else to leave to but they can't they have to stay in basically a war zone.

"I hope that things will get better in Lebanon, it's my second country and I would love to go back with my children but to go back to a safe country."