BEIRUT, July 8 (Xinhua) -- Lama Al-Bitar, a teacher at a school in Lebanon's southern city of Nabatieh, struggled to keep children in her class to remain calm as the loud noises erupted overhead once again.
The sonic booms are caused by Israeli warplanes that fly faster than sound. The exposion-like noise often causes panics among the students, leading many to cry or shout out of fear.
"Teachers in the classrooms or on the playgrounds have to try hard to calm the students, especially those in kindergarten, as it's hard to convince them that it's just a loud sound that does not pose any physical danger," Shadia Fahs, the school's supervisor, told Xinhua.
She noted that these sonic booms disrupt the school environment significantly. "Each time an aircraft violates the sound barrier, family cars rush to the school to check on their children and take them home, further disrupting studies."
Israeli warplanes have recently intensified their violations of the sound barrier in the airspace of most Lebanese regions, sometimes even resulting in building damage and collapses, Lebanese military sources told Xinhua.
The sources reported that such violations occur two or three times a day, and it could become terrifying when the planes were flying at a low altitude.
The repeated violations over the past nine months have led to the injury of a woman in one of the villages in southwest Lebanon and the collapse of a house roof, along with damage to about 80 other buildings across various Lebanese regions, said the sources.
Amin Hoteit, a military expert and retired brigadier general, told Xinhua that the intense Israeli warplanes' violation of the sound barrier constitutes a clear international violation.
"This repeated and severe violation, according to documented studies, causes significant environmental, health, and psychological damage, in addition to harming infrastructure and buildings, not to mention severely disrupting the lives of residents," he said.
Hoteit called on the Lebanese Foreign Ministry to file a complaint against Israel in international forums, describing the violations as a "crime against humanity."
Psychotherapist Jihan Baraka told Xinhua that breaking the sound barrier produces adverse health and psychological effects, especially for those who experience high levels of fear.
She noted that the sudden explosion of sound raises fear and anxiety hormones in children, increasing blood pressure and heart rate, which often necessitates medical attention.
Tensions along the Lebanon-Israel border escalated on Oct. 8, 2023, following a barrage of rockets launched by the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah toward Israel in solidarity with Hamas' attack on Israel the day before. Israel then retaliated by firing heavy artillery toward southeastern Lebanon.
The level of tension between Hezbollah and the Israeli army has recently intensified, as the Israeli military announced "its approval of operational plans for an attack on Lebanon."
Meanwhile, Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah warned that no place in Israel "will be safe" from his party's missiles in the event of an outbreak of war. ■
