Plight of Lebanon hits home in NZ

New Zealand's Lebanese community are bracing themselves for further bloodshed in their homeland amid fears Israeli attacks on guerilla soldiers could spark a second civil war.

Fearing for the safety of friends and family trapped in the conflict, Kiwi Lebanese gathered together in small groups last night to keep watch over the escalating violence on television and the internet.

Joseph Howley, president of the Lebanese Society of Auckland, said the tight-knit community was worried Lebanon's civil war, which raged for 15 years, would repeat itself.

"This could drag the country into another war, which we have no need for," he said. "And we've got family and friends trapped there."

Mr Howley said the Lebanese army did not want to obey United Nations orders to disarm the Hizbollah guerillas, partly because of fear.

Hizbollah is well armed and supported by Shiite Muslim factions.

Instead, Israeli armed forces have bombarded their neighbouring country since last Wednesday, killing 66 people, and have vowed to keep up the attacks until Lebanon disarms the Hizbollah guerrillas that control the southern part of the country.

Wellington man Nasser Dia has not slept for three days. His wife Summer and 10-month-old daughter Lana are trapped in Lebanon's capital after returning to their homeland for a five-week holiday to visit family.

Summer and Lana fled the bombing in Beirut, escaping to the mountains from the danger zones in the city, but left their passports behind in their hasty escape.

With the airport runways destroyed and the roads closed, Mr Dia has struggled to find an escape route for his young family.

"My wife is really scared man. I'm OK, but my wife and daughter are so far away, and it's dangerous..."

For Auckland woman Hanane Ataya, 22, the violence is a disturbing reminder of her war-torn childhood.

Born in Lebanon during the civil war, Ms Ataya escaped to New Zealand as a teenager in 1997.

Two of her sisters who live in Lebanon are unhurt, but other relatives in the northern city of Zahleh returned home to find their property completely destroyed.

"Luckily they were visiting friends, but now they have nothing."

"It's really horrible at the moment. We can't do anything," she said.

Lebanese telephone lines are down, but Ms Ataya has managed to call her sisters by cellphone every day since the attacks began.

She said the 400-strong expat community in Auckland would be gathering together in small numbers and listening for any updates.

A Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman said there were six known New Zealanders travelling in Lebanon, although other people had called with contact details of relatives.