Lebanon was once so accustomed to the sounds of war that its parrots learned how to imitate the whistle of incoming shells.
An African Grey called Coco, which inhabited the lobby of Beirut’s Commodore Hotel, was so good at making the noise that unwitting guests would fling themselves under tables to take cover.
Lebanon’s civil war ended 34 years ago and with it the days when the Commodore’s deadpan receptionist asked new arrivals if they preferred a room “on the car bomb side or the rocket side” of the hotel.
Hezbollah’s terrorism targets civilians.
Hundreds of thousands of Israeli civilians spent their night hiding in bomb shelters, while barrages of rockets were flying over their heads, some hitting their homes, and rocket alert sirens were constantly sounding throughout the night.… pic.twitter.com/2XzgAQQ7Fp
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) September 22, 2024
