Southern Lebanon reels as Israeli strikes shatter communities

Published: 27 November 2025 Thursday. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online

Last Friday evening, an Israeli airstrike hit a car in Froun, a village in southern Lebanon, marking yet another violent episode in a region already heavily impacted by decades of conflict. The area, historically a stronghold of the Shia Muslim community and Hezbollah, has long celebrated its fighters as “martyrs of the resistance,” with banners of those killed in battle hanging from lamp-posts across towns.

The strike killed a man whom the Israeli military described as a Hezbollah operative, while nearby residents watched in horror. Mohamad Mokdad, a local, recounted cleaning body parts from his veranda and trees after the attack. “Who is going to help us?” he asked, expressing the helplessness of civilians caught between warring parties. “I just want to live in peace. I don’t want anyone.”

Since the ceasefire deal brokered last November, ending the latest war with Hezbollah, Israel has continued targeted attacks almost daily, claiming they are aimed at preventing Hezbollah from rearming. Despite the ceasefire, Israeli forces maintain control over at least five hilltops in southern Lebanon and have conducted air and drone strikes on suspected Hezbollah targets. Last Sunday, a strike in the Dahieh district outside Beirut killed the group’s chief of staff along with four others.

Traveling to the border village of Yaroun, the reporter observed a newly constructed concrete wall erected by Israeli forces, an act Lebanese authorities say violates both the ceasefire and Lebanon’s sovereignty. Thousands of Lebanese remain displaced across the south, with international partners hesitant to fund reconstruction due to political deadlock over Hezbollah’s disarmament.

Locals describe a daily reality dominated by fear. Nayef al-Rida, who lives with his family in one of the few remaining houses in Yaroun, reported constant drone surveillance overhead. “This happens 24/7. We’ve got every reason to be afraid,” he said. Despite the area’s strong historical ties to Hezbollah, Mr. Rida expressed skepticism over the group giving up its weapons, stating, “We wait for God’s mercy. This is no life.”

The 13-month ceasefire, which followed a war that killed 4,000 Lebanese and 120 Israelis, had required Hezbollah to withdraw fighters and weapons south of the Litani River while Israeli troops pulled back from invaded areas. Tens of thousands of Lebanese civilians hoped for reconstruction and a return to normalcy, yet repeated strikes, drone activity, and ongoing occupation continue to undermine those hopes.

In Froun, residents are coping with both the psychological trauma of repeated attacks and the physical destruction of their communities. With banners commemorating fallen fighters still visible, locals are left to navigate the complex reality of surviving amid ongoing conflict while questioning the role and influence of Hezbollah in their daily lives. The sense of insecurity and the feeling that their lives have been upended are pervasive, leaving communities in southern Lebanon trapped in an unending cycle of fear and uncertainty.