Rosemarie Hawa has lived in Lebanon for 15 years, but "can't wait" to leave.
Ms Hawa, an Australian citizen, moved to Lebanon after she married her husband, who is a local.
But now she's anxious about the lingering threat of war, and will make the trip back to Australia with her eight-year-old daughter, having to leave her husband behind as he is waiting on a visa.
Ms Hawa applied for her husband's 309 Partner visa in June.
The Home Affairs website states processing times could be unpredictable, with estimates of up to three years waiting time for the 309 Partner visa.
Waiting that long was an impossible thought for Ms Hawa, who called the system "outdated and unfair."
"Now with the situation, I'm going to have to leave before him and take my daughter away from her father while he waits for the visa," she told the ABC.
"How does one get forced to leave their partner and then wait alone in Australia with a child for up to three years?" Ms Hawa said.
"What about the welfare of the child not to mention the emotional stress my daughter is going to go through."
Her rush now to come back to Australia was sparked after the federal government called on Australians in Lebanon to come home, amid escalating tensions in the region.
It came after an Israeli air strike killed Hezbollah senior commander Fuad Shukr in southern Beirut.
Then followed an explosion in Tehran which killed top Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh.
Israel has not claimed responsibility for his assassination.
Iran has vowed to retaliate against Israel, prompting concerns that the multiple fronts being fought in parallel to Gaza could escalate into a full-blown regional war.
Ms Hawa argued that given the country could be facing war, exceptions should be made for immediate family members.
"With the war on our doorsteps and the fact that we've been married for 15 years and have a child, there should be at least a way my husband can be allowed to come."
The ABC has contacted the Department of Home Affairs for comment on immigration visas for immediate family members of Australian citizens in Lebanon.
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The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) told the ABC that they advised Australians not to travel to Lebanon "due to the volatile security situation and the risk of further deterioration".
It warned Australians in Lebanon to "leave immediately while commercial flights remain available".
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"Beirut airport could close and Australians may be unable to leave for an extended period.The government may not be able to assist Australians to leave in such circ*mstances," DFAT said.
Ms Hawa said she understood the government might not be able to evacuate everybody but appreciates that the warnings have been made.
According to Jad Assi, who runs a popular tourism social media page highlighting the hidden gems in Beirut, the feelings for some in Beirut locals are different.
"My friends who are here and work abroad are all leaving."
He said that the prospect of war wasn't easy to grasp for some.
"If there is war, it already started six months ago, but Lebanese people are in denial that we are in a war state," Mr Assi said.
"[People] are continuing their life."
'We are not afraid'
Many locals across Lebanon were not concerned over the prospect of a regional war.
Along the sandy coastline of the port city of Tyre, about 20 kilometres from the border with Israel, many in South Lebanon enjoyed spending time on the beach.
Israel and Hezbollah have exchanged fire in South Lebanon since October 8 — a day after the Hamas attack on Israel which killed 1,200 people and took more than 250 hostages, according to Israeli authorities.
Israel then launched an air and ground war in Gaza. At least 39,445 Palestinians have been killed and 91,073 have been injured in Gaza since the war broke out, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
"As you can see, all the people are by the beach, we are all at the beach. This land is our land, and we will not leave it," Tyre resident Ghalib Badawy said.
Another local, Ghalib Safyy Aldin said: "Threats do not scare us."
"When the tourism season started in the municipality of Tyre, it was already a challenge, but we are not afraid. Look at the people, they are on the sea, and they are not afraid," he said.
Lebanese protesters mark fourth anniversary of Beirut port blast
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As the threat of war loomed, hundreds protested in the country's capital to remember the victims of the Beirut port blast, four years ago.
Loved ones of victims gathered near the port to remember the lives that were lost and demanded accountability for the blast, which nobody has taken responsibility for.
On August 4, 2020, hundreds of tonnes of ammonium nitrate detonated in a Beirut Port warehouse one — of history's biggest non-nuclear explosions — which killed more than 220 people, and injured at least 6,500.
The blast stunned the nation and a probe by a maverick investigative judge into the explosion shook the country's ruling elite, rife with corruption and mismanagement.
However, years of obstructions by top officials to dodge accountability and stall the probe have hampered hopes for justice.
Protesters called for accountability, chanting outside the port, and holding photos of their loved ones.
ABC/wires
