War has once again engulfed Lebanon after Israel launched extensive strikes in response to rocket fire from Hezbollah, displacing more than a million people and killing over 1,000. Large areas of southern Lebanon, parts of Beirut and the eastern Bekaa Valley have been hit, forcing families to flee to the capital's seafront, where tents, makeshift shelters and bonfires now line the promenade.

Along Beirut's waterfront, scenes of hardship unfold beside displays of wealth and normalcy. Displaced families sleep in cars or under tarps with little food or sanitation, while joggers, cyclists and restaurant patrons carry on nearby. Israeli airstrikes have struck targets along the corniche itself, killing civilians and shattering any illusion of safety.

The seafront has long served as both a battleground and a refuge during Lebanon's repeated conflicts, from past wars with Israel to the civil war and the port explosion. Despite privatization and reconstruction, it remains a symbolic public space where citizens gather in times of crisis.

For many residents, exhaustion and numbness have replaced earlier resilience after years of economic collapse, political turmoil and war. Yet even amid drone fire and airstrikes, some return daily to the sea seeking brief moments of calm, clinging to routine as violence continues around them.