Dearborn man with family ties in Lebanon worries about their safety: "The family home just does not exist anymore"

Dearborn, Michigan, is home to the largest concentration of Lebanese Americans in the country, and many have been living through constant fear because of Israel's war in Lebanon.

"It's an immensely difficult thing to be living with, and a lot of people here in Metro Detroit are living that reality," said Abbas Alawieh.

Alawieh is one of the tens of thousands of Lebanese Americans living in Dearborn. Similar to so many of his neighbors and friends, his family abroad is dealing with a horrifying reality.

"My grandmother, my aunts, my cousins live in a constant state of horror and shock," said Alawieh.

Airstrikes pour down onto Beirut and southern Lebanon, as the Israeli government says it is working to destroy the Iranian-backed militant group Hezbollah. U.S. officials say they are arranging talks in an effort for a ceasefire in Lebanon.

Meanwhile, many of the most vulnerable communities are dealing with immense loss.

"The family home just does not exist anymore. If you see the photo, it's actually pretty stark. In one photo, it's standing up like this, and in the other photo, it's just on the ground," said Alawieh.

And as Alawieh and his family are feeling grief from the loss of their home in Lebanon, the fear that life could be lost persists.

"All of us who love for and care for them are wondering if they will be among those who are directly hit," he said.

A candlelight vigil for the lives lost in Lebanon is set for Friday night at Dearborn Peace Park West.