Lebanese who fled the Israeli invasion visit to see what’s left
News
Historic hub of south Lebanon badly damaged in war with Israel
NABATIYEH, Lebanon — Past the shattered glass of the balcony doors of Najib Ayyad’s damaged apartment in southern Lebanon, he can see a historic local landmark — now occupied by Israeli forces.
“You see the castle?” he asks. Beaufort Castle, a crusader-era fortress, was seized in May by Israeli forces who have now gone far beyond what the Israeli government describes as a “security zone” in southern Lebanon.
Details
“They can see us clearly from there,” he says. “Even if my apartment weren’t damaged I couldn’t stay.”
On the day we visit in June, smoke is rising from an Israeli artillery strike near Nabatiyeh, a small city that is a hub in the south of the country. The sound of Israeli drones is a constant backdrop in a city devastated by war, but which still shows tentative signs of residents trying to rebuild their lives here.
Ayyad, a parliamentary office worker, has come back only to salvage some belongings from the apartment. He used to commute to work from here to the parliament member’s office near Sidon, a short drive away. With no money to rent another apartment, he is staying with his daughter in her flat in Beirut.
Analysis
It’s a struggle to even get to his apartment. Broken chunks of concrete cover the building’s entranceway while the staircase is littered in rubble and broken glass. Israeli air strikes have knocked out electricity throughout the city.
Three floors up, shafts of light from empty windows with jagged frames illuminate piles of broken furniture.
On the street outside, most homes have been destroyed or heavily damaged. One elegant multi-story villa set back behind metal gates appears intact but the back of the building has been heavily damaged.
Stay informed with the latest news on Wararka.so — your trusted source for Somalia and world news.
