Hezbollah support endures in south Lebanon as ceasefire fails to stop war with Israel

An Israeli air strike last Saturday destroyed a building in southern Lebanon’s Saksakiyeh town, killing nine civilians—including a woman in her 70s, her four grandchildren, a great-granddaughter aged two, and four other relatives. The Israeli military stated it targeted Hezbollah members operating from the building, though it did not provide details. Relatives disputed this, identifying the victims as an extended family sheltering from the war. Southern Lebanon, the heartland of Lebanon’s Shia community and Hezbollah’s base, has faced relentless Israeli bombardment. Despite a ceasefire announced last month, attacks continue day and night, displacing over one million people—one in five of Lebanon’s population—primarily from the south, Bekaa Valley, and Beirut’s Dahieh district. Many now live in tents, enduring humiliation and fear, with Israeli drones constantly overhead. In villages like Arab Salim, posters honor fallen Hezbollah fighters, and residents refuse to leave despite destruction. Fatmeh and Dunya, two 80-year-old cousins, said they would ‘die in their homes’ rather than flee, despite Israeli drones and explosions. Hussein Haydar, 56, joked with his family during air raids, telling his one-year-old grandson it was a game. Hezbollah, backed by Iran, continues rocket and drone attacks on northern Israel and Israeli troops still in Lebanon. The group’s media office coordinated travel for reporting, though it did not interfere. Streets remain deserted, with buildings destroyed and Ramadan decorations left undisturbed—symbols of a community on hold, not at peace.