The escalation of confrontations between Israel and Hezbollah is leaving its effects on the residents of southern Lebanon
The escalation of battles in southern Lebanon between Hezbollah and Israel since the eighth of last October, and the expansion of the scope of the clashes, has been reflected in the movement of residents of the border areas and those close to them. Some of them were displaced, some of them remained, and some of them moved according to the security situation.
The Israeli bombing led to the death of 17 civilians in southern Lebanon, the last of whom was Hassan Mansour, mayor of the village of Taybeh in Marjayoun district, who died last Monday, according to the National News Agency. Three journalists were also previously killed, according to the Arab World News Agency.
Hezbollah carried out several military operations targeting military sites, including, according to the party’s statements, soldiers’ assembly centers, intelligence points, military vehicles, and others. Meanwhile, the Israeli army announced that it had bombed missile launching areas and locations of the group’s fighters.
Almost daily confrontations have erupted between the Israeli army on the one hand and the Lebanese Hezbollah group and armed Palestinian factions in Lebanon on the other hand, across the border between the two countries since Israel began its war on the Gaza Strip following a surprise attack launched by Hamas and the factions on October 7th.
* Getting used to war
Maysaa Atallah travels between the Marjayoun and Khiam regions, coming from Beirut, to visit her family and check on her relatives. She told the Arab World News Agency (AWP) that there are still families in the areas of confrontation in southern Lebanon, and that some of those who were displaced during the recent period have begun to return to their homes due to the high cost of staying outside their homes, and in the absence of a clear horizon for the end of the battles in the south.
Naim Qassem, Deputy Secretary-General of Hezbollah, had confirmed that the southern front “will remain open in support of Gaza in the face of the Zionist aggression against it.”
Yesterday, Al-Manar TV channel quoted him as saying during a memorial service for three Hezbollah fighters who were killed in clashes with Israel: “The pace of military operations in southern Lebanon is determined by the field, and it is best for the Zionists not to try their luck with escalation because the situation will be worse for them.”
Maysaa says that she constantly visits the southern regions because her family is there and to report on events there. Pointing out that she is active on social media sites and does not rely solely on the news she hears, “especially since there is a section of Beirut’s population who live as if there is no war on the southern border.”
She continued: “Most families in those areas move around during the day and avoid activity at night, even though the bombing does not stop during the day. They choose to take the main roads, not the secondary roads, and stay away from the nearby border points and forests.”
She added: “Last Sunday, I attended mass in the church, and it was full of people, while the sound of bombing could be heard. Despite the strength of the voice, the priest and the worshipers did not appear to be affected, and no one left the church.
Maysaa believes that the residents of the south are accustomed to war, and she says: “I lived through the July 2006 war, and there are those who lived through more details previously. People are tired because their work has declined and their schools and activities have stopped, but they understand the meaning of the pain of war, and that is why they feel for the people of Gaza because they have gone through similar circumstances in their lives.”
The “July 2006 war” took place between Israel and the Hezbollah group in different regions of Lebanon, and lasted 34 days.
Maysaa pointed out that the current Israeli bombing is increasing and expanding, adding that in the first weeks of the clashes it was limited to open areas on the border, but the course of the battles changed later with the expansion of the scope of the bombing by targeting homes and civilians deep in southern Lebanon and launching air strikes on residential neighborhoods, as happened. In the areas of Bint Jbeil, Houla and Aitaroun.
* Residents complain of “a kind of neglect”
Zainab Mari, from the village of Kafra in the Bint Jbeil district in the south, which is 25 minutes away from the border by car, believes that visiting her village in the current period is risky as some homes have been damaged by Israeli bombing.
Zainab told the Arab World News Agency: “People are trying to help, especially those coming from the remote villages on the direct front line, as they are the most affected. Aid has varied between opening homes for families and donating aid, but there is a small group of people who have taken advantage of the situation by raising house rents in some mountainous areas.” .
She points out that there is a kind of “ignorance” of news in southern Lebanon, and adds: “Some Lebanese stations do not give importance to what is happening in the south, and what is surprising is that people see that there is no war in Lebanon, as if the south is a non-Lebanese region.”
She goes on to say: “Lebanon and Palestine experienced the bitterness of war together in different stages, and we see the conditions of the Palestinian refugees in the camps, and when we see what is happening in Gaza, we stress that we do not want to let Israel act as it pleases by occupying lands that are not its own.”
Regarding the exchange of bombings, the Lebanese National News Agency reported yesterday (Tuesday) that a missile had fallen at Yater Public School in Tyre, in the south of the country, without exploding. She indicated that he hit the school principal’s car minutes after she got out of it, and caused material damage even though it did not explode.
For its part, Hezbollah announced in separate statements yesterday that it had targeted several Israeli army sites, including Al-Malikiyah in northern Israel opposite the Lebanese border, Al-Asi, Bayad, Blida, Khirbet Maar, Jal Al-Alam, Al-Raheb and Zarit, noting that “direct hits” had been achieved.
* Border villages
At a distance of six kilometers from the southern border, there is the village of Ramiya, which Ali Majed Issa left two months ago due to its proximity to the clash lines.
Issa told the Arab World News Agency that the village is currently empty of residents and that the current conditions are unstable. He continued: “We left our house for the first time on October 8 and returned during the truce phase, and then we left it after the battles returned.” He added: “The battles created a negative trend for people by leaving them with their livelihoods, their homes, and their daily lifestyle. In my region, the aggression has not yet led to damage, whether at the level of individuals or infrastructure.”
He went on to say: “Every person secures his needs according to his abilities, and the parties in the region seek to provide what is necessary.”
He pointed out in his speech that most people in his village depend on tobacco cultivation, and said: “Despite the aggression, the residents were able to secure the sale of their crop to the Tobacco Management Center, which worked to facilitate the sale of the crop in advance to help farmers provide an amount that would help them secure their needs under the current circumstances.”
He added: “Civilians cannot go to the villages in light of the ongoing Israeli aggression… Before the truce, we went to the village once to secure our agricultural crops.”
Issa pointed out the seriousness of the situation in the region, saying that “the development of the Israeli aggression from artillery shelling to military raids poses a greater danger to the adjacent and crowded homes in the region.”
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2023-12-13 13:54:36
