Life in Lebanon: Israeli destruction forces many to leave south Lebanon

Thousands of Lebanese citizens uprooted by the war are returning to their homes, as a fragile ceasefire continues to hold between Hezbollah and Israel. Many, however, are finding the living conditions difficult. Adel EL Mahrouky reports from southern Lebanon.

When the ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel was announced, thousands of displaced citizens rushed back to their homes in celebration. For many of them, joy turned to shock as soon as they saw what they left behind. Jamal Al Ashqar is a baker. He has just returned to Qana with his wife and five kids.

JAMAL AL ASHQAR, Qana Resident "I thought I would settle in my home and reopen my bakery, but unfortunately there is no home and no bakery. I am disappointed. I didn't know the situation. I thought it was a small strike next to me, and that my house would be fine. Now there is nothing left in my house. There are no windows. The reception is gone. The bedrooms are gone, too."

His house and bakery shop are in the same block right next to this bombed building. Standing next to the balcony of his apartment, he explains how confused he is about planning his future.

JAMAL AL ASHQAR, Qana Resident "I will now wait to see if the ceasefire holds. After that, I will see what happens. I can't repair and refurbish, only for something to happen again. That won't work. I lost my savings, and I am in debt now. In northern Lebanon, the cost of living is high. Inflation is high, fuel is more expensive. There is not much to be done about it. When you get your family used to a certain quality of living, you can't change it, no matter how much you try. When a young child asks for something, you can't say no."

He looked away from the camera as he tried to hold back his tears. Jamal and his spouse thought the ceasefire would bring financial relief. Instead, they will go back to live with his brother. Fatma Qassim lives across the street from another destroyed building in Shahabiya. The windows were blown away.

FATMA QASSIM, Shahabiya Resident "We slept anyway. What else could we do?We're used to wars keeping us awake. We also had to clean the house. There was a lot of dust, glass and rocks. We even found several fragments of missiles. At first, I was giggling and smiling to myself. Although I am sad about what happened to the house, I was still happy that I reached my home. It's my property. No matter what they do to us, we will come back."

She takes care of her three children, a sick mother and her sister's family of four. Her sister tried to come back but learned that Israeli troops remained near her town. All nine of them are planning to look for some place else to live, probably back at a shelter.

FATMA QASSIM, Shahabiya Resident "There are no services: no electricity, no generators, no internet, no water. Nothing gets here.Even vegetables - there aren't any.I went to a kiosk; they didn't have anything. This entire neighborhood is cut off from life. The gallon of water I have - if we finish it, I can't replace it.There are no pharmacies. This child is on medication. My mother needs medication."

The mountains of Lebanon are welcoming residents for the first time since early March. They've been under heavy Israeli bombardment. The trip back home for many people is turning out to be a gamble, a future filled with unanswered questions. Adel EL Mahrouky, Shahabiya, southern Lebanon.