Summer canceIled: Israeli attack hits Lebanon tourism hopes

Several concert organizers in Lebanon have announced the postponement of high-profile events following an Israeli airstrike on a residential building in Beirut's southern suburbs, with airlines halting flights and embassies advising against travel to the country.

The Israeli attack, which occurred on Tuesday night, killed seven including two children. The Israeli military claimed the strike targeted senior Hezbollah figure Fuad Shukr, confirmed dead on Wednesday by the Lebanese militant group.

Before the Israeli raid, concert promoter Hussein Kaseera had already cancelled Egyptian singer Tamer Hosny's performance scheduled for August 3, as well as Syrian singer Assala Nasri's concert planned for August 10 following tensions triggered by a deadly rocket attack on the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.

A joint event featuring Assi El Hallani, Haifa Wehbe, Saif Nabil, and DJ Aseel, set for August 8, was also called off.

Ticket holders were notified of the cancellations and promised refunds due to the "current situation in our beloved country."

These are all household pop stars in the Arab world, many of whom perform every summer in the small Mediterranean country. Lebanon is a popular tourist destination for millions of Arabs, Lebanese expats and international travellers.

Lebanon was well into organizing over 100 festivals this summer, many of which have already taken place beginning in late June.

Since last week, there have been widespread travel warnings and flight cancellations. Lufthansa, Swiss International and Eurowings suspended flights to and from Beirut until August 6. Greece’s Aegean Airlines and Qatar Airways have adjusted their schedules, while Air France halted flights on July 29 and 30. Turkish Airlines also cancelled two flights recently.

Kuwait Airways on Thursday it will suspend flights to and from Lebanon starting Sunday, August 4, due to the "current circumstances"​, though some carriers like Royal Jordanian Airlines and Lebanese carrier Middle East Airline are still operating flights to the country's only international airport.

The United States has now raised its travel advisory for Lebanon to "Do Not Travel." The advisory cites the risks of crime, terrorism, civil unrest, and potential armed conflict, particularly in southern Lebanon and areas near the Syrian border.

Other countries, including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Oman, Bahrain, Qatar, Germany, the UK, and Canada, have issued similar warnings, urging their citizens to avoid travel to Lebanon and, if already there, to leave while commercial options are available. The Canadian military was already preparing evacuation plans for up to 20,000 citizens, mirroring efforts during the 2006 Lebanon war.

The fate of other big-name events, such as the Baalbeck International Festival remains unclear, with no updates posted on the official website.

Hezbollah launched attacks on Israel on 8 October following Hamas's Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, triggering a tit-for-tat war that has displaced tens of thousands on both sides of the border and killed dozens of combatants and civilians.