Amid Fragile Ceasefire, Israel Still Illegally Occupies 5 Locations in Lebanon

SHARIF ABDEL KOUDDOUS: Southern Lebanon, scenes of utter devastation. That is the village of Kafr Kila — or what’s left of it — after the Israeli army lastly withdrew its forces on February 18th.

Israel’s warfare on Lebanon lasted for effectively over a 12 months. Hezbollah started firing rockets and artillery at Israeli forces someday after Israel started its genocidal assault on Gaza. Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah referred to as it a solidarity entrance with the Palestinians. Israel retaliated by bombing Lebanon, largely within the south, the heartland of Hezbollah’s energy base, earlier than escalating dramatically in September, carpet bombing giant swaths of the nation and launching a floor invasion.

However a lot of the destruction in these villages within the south got here throughout a so-called ceasefire that went into impact on November twenty seventh. Throughout that point, occupying Israeli troops used bulldozers, dynamite and artillery to flatten whole areas.

We’re standing right here on the rubble of one of many houses. There’s hardly any constructions which have been left standing. The Israeli army left right here simply three days in the past, occupying the village for a number of months. Residents who’re making an attempt to get again to their houses have been protesting on the outskirts, however there’s hardly anybody right here, as a result of there’s nothing to return again to. You’ll be able to see we’re simply on the border with Palestine. There’s the wall. Israeli settlements are there within the distance. However the village has been demolished. There’s concrete, twisted rebar, the remnants of life, however nobody is right here.

Together with the destruction, Israeli troops left behind clear indicators of their presence. Graffiti scrawled in Hebrew on this dwelling reads “so-and-so was right here” with the identify blacked out.

A 20-minute drive northeast from Kafr Kila lies the city of Khiam. Whereas some buildings are nonetheless standing, residents say as a lot as 70% of Khiam has been destroyed. Hezbollah mounted a fierce resistance right here, stopping the Israeli army from invading and occupying it. When the ceasefire settlement went into impact in late November and the fighters withdrew, Israeli tanks and troops poured in.

ALI KHREIS: [translated] They solely got here into Khiam in the course of the 60-day ceasefire. That’s after they got here into Khiam and destroyed 50% of Khiam throughout that point, utilizing detonation. It was solely in the course of the ceasefire.

SHARIF ABDEL KOUDDOUS: Ali Khreis is a neighborhood resident who runs a small cafe in Khiam. His son Mahdi, a 33-year-old father of two, was a fighter who was killed on October twenty ninth, 2024.

ALI KHREIS: [translated] My son is without doubt one of the resistance fighters. He is without doubt one of the ones who remained right here and fought right here and was martyred right here. And it was via their blood that we returned to our city. They determined that we wouldn’t return to our lands, however we did return, via the blood of our martyrs who sacrificed for us.

Now the city is empty, however we are attempting as a lot as we are able to. We are going to return to our lands, for positive. We’ve greater than 30, 40, 50 households who’ve already returned, and they’re staying right here, however on the outskirts of the city, as a result of in the course of the city there are hardly any homes left standing.

SHARIF ABDEL KOUDDOUS: Israel’s onslaught on Khiam even prolonged to the native cemetery, which the Israeli army shelled. Rubble litters the tombstones, a few of which have been break up aside and damaged open. Among the many graves broken is that of Issam Abdallah, the 37-year-old journalist working for Reuters who was killed by Israeli tank fireplace in a focused assault on October thirteenth, 2023. The white gravestone bearing a picture of his face was damaged practically in half.

Since November, Israel has violated the ceasefire in Lebanon a whole bunch of occasions. Whereas we have been within the southern village of Houla, the Israeli army attacked a civilian automobile on the outskirts of city, setting it on fireplace, with black smoke seen on an adjoining hilltop. We additionally met Houla native Ibrahim Yassin as he was putting an image of his martyred son on the rubble.

IBRAHIM YASSIN: [translated] This level the place I’m standing precisely is the place my son was martyred. My son, the martyr, is Muhammad Ibrahim Yassin. And it was right here that he was killed. And if it wasn’t for this pure blood, this nation wouldn’t have been liberated. The enemy remains to be in 5 areas. Ultimately, they’ll withdrawal, whether or not they wish to or not, so long as there are males who will combat.

SHARIF ABDEL KOUDDOUS: Like many hundreds of others from the south, Ibrahim was touring to Beirut to attend the funeral of former Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah.

IBRAHIM YASSIN: [translated] This historic determine was bringing the nation collectively, the historical past of the nation. He brings all of the individuals collectively. He didn’t simply defend the south. He defended Palestine. He defended Gaza, Iraq, Yemen. He defended all the oppressed individuals.

SHARIF ABDEL KOUDDOUS: The funeral of Hassan Nasrallah on February twenty third was a serious regional occasion. As Hezbollah’s chief for over 30 years, Nasrallah helped rework the group from a militia into probably the most highly effective political actions within the Arab world and a formidable preventing pressure within the area. He was killed in September when Israel dropped greater than 80 tons of munitions on a residential compound in Beirut’s southern suburb of Dahiyeh, additionally killing an unknown variety of civilians.

A large turnout right now in Beirut for the funeral of Hassan Nasrallah, with tens of hundreds of individuals taking to the streets. It is a present of presence and of help for Hezbollah, which suffered heavy losses in Israel’s warfare on Lebanon, together with the lack of Nasrallah, Hezbollah’s chief for greater than 30 years, in addition to many high commanders and its rank and file. Nasrallah was buried in a secret grave after he was killed practically 5 months in the past. When his physique was introduced right now, there was open shows of emotion, women and men weeping for the lack of this chief. In some unspecified time in the future, Israeli jets flew low overhead, prompting the group to chant in opposition to Israel, to chant in opposition to the USA. That is the most important funeral in Lebanon in many years, and it’s a present of Hezbollah’s political and army presence in the way forward for Lebanon.

On Monday, a funeral ceremony was held for Hashem Safieddine, Nasrallah’s cousin and successor, who was killed just a few days after Nasrallah. Whereas a much smaller turnout than the ceremony honoring Nasrallah, it was nonetheless a major occasion. Your entire city got here to pay tribute, with a marching band and younger males in uniform holding Hezbollah flags amidst hundreds of mourners who took to the streets. Amongst those that got here to attend was senior Hezbollah official and member of Parliament Ibrahim al-Moussawi. For safety causes, he left rapidly after paying his respects. However we caught up with him that night in Beirut.

Yesterday, there was a large funeral for Sayed Hassan Nasrallah. We noticed a really massive turnout. Along with mourning Nasrallah, was this additionally a present of power by Hezbollah?

IBRAHIM AL-MOUSSAWI: To begin with, you’re speaking about an entire society, neighborhood, that’s fully devoted and devoted to the concept, to the idea of the resistance, as a result of we dwell in part of the world the place the world conspiracy, if you would like, the world hegemony, the occupation, the expansionist tendency of the Israeli enemy is there all the time, all the time. A part of our land has been occupied, and a part of our land has already been occupied additionally after this warfare. So that you’re speaking kind of about people who find themselves underneath occupation, who’re underneath oppression, who’re underneath steady goal, aggression from the Israeli facet, supported by the People.

And yesterday, you recognize, they stated, “We’ve carried out with Hezbollah. Hezbollah has been destroyed.” To their shock and to their shock, you’re speaking about one of many unprecedented rallies within the historical past of Lebanon and perhaps within the area. When you take it proportionally, you will note that when you may have greater than 1 million individuals marching into the streets to mourn their chief, to ship a message of power, a message of solidarity, a message of help, a message of help, a message of perception, a message of loyalty, a message of faithfulness to the resistance, then this inform you who has been the loser, really.

SHARIF ABDEL KOUDDOUS: The Trump administration has stated that Hezbollah being part of the Lebanese authorities is a crimson line. What’s your response to that?

IBRAHIM AL-MOUSSAWI: Look, once we discuss democracy, we speak in regards to the free selections of the individuals. We’re a constituency, and we’re half and bulk of this neighborhood. While you consider in democracy, is it like decontextualized democracy, democracy right here, not democracy there? I imply, who’s Trump to dictate his insurance policies upon us? Who has given him the proper to say what’s proper and what’s improper? Who has given him the proper to say what are the crimson traces and what are the inexperienced traces? It’s a crimson line for Trump and for all the dictators and the hegemons of the world to dictate their insurance policies upon us and upon any free, unbiased society. So, it’s a crimson line for him to do it, and he’s trespassing so many alternative crimson traces. That is one thing that has to do together with his opinion. He can maintain it for himself. Whereas right here we’re an unbiased, sovereign nation, we’re an unbiased, sovereign society, and now we have the proper to train our rights in democracy and in being represented within the authorities and within the Parliament and all of the political life within the nation.

SHARIF ABDEL KOUDDOUS: Israel continues to occupy 5 positions inside Lebanon. If that occupation continues, will Hezbollah reply?

IBRAHIM AL-MOUSSAWI: Yesterday, our secretary basic, Sheikh Naim Qassem, stated that we’re giving the chance for the federal government, for the worldwide neighborhood, and we are going to observe what’s actually happening to occur. And after that, we are going to take the place and the choice that we really feel essential to guard our nation.

SHARIF ABDEL KOUDDOUS: With the lack of Nasrallah and far of its high management, Hezbollah has entered a brand new section, one that may have an effect on the way forward for Lebanon for years to return. For Democracy Now! and Drop Web site Information, I’m Sharif Abdel Kouddous, with Lama Al-Arian.