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Hopes of quickly rebuilding their lives have been dashed for thousands of Lebanese returning to the southern city of Tyre after the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah began, as they find themselves homeless.
Much of Tyre – one of the world's oldest continually inhabited cities – has been destroyed by Israeli bombardment. In the buildings that are still standing, there is no food, electricity or running water.
Two months of a vicious war have left southern Lebanon in ruins.
As they drive in, returnees are being met with sights of utter desolation – homes, restaurants, shops and in many instances, whole neighbourhoods, reduced to rubble. Those whose homes were spared find that they are returning to unlivable conditions.
Hossam and Nour, a middle-aged couple who requested not to use their real names, found the whole facade of their first-floor flat blown onto the street. They stood amid the remnants of their living room, throwing chunks of wall and detritus into the street below as they searched for what was salvageable.
“We knew it was damaged because we saw that the Israelis had marked the building across the street as a target,” Nour told The National. “But seeing it in person is different from just knowing about it.”
Israel carried out a final vicious wave of attacks in southern Lebanon shortly before the ceasefire took effect, levelling buildings and entire blocks, and killing anyone in the path of its missiles. Hossam and Nour believe their house had been spared until moments before the ceasefire.
“They hit only 30 minutes before the ceasefire came into effect,” said Hossam.
In late September the conflict between Hezbollah and Israel, which had continued at low intensity over the past year, escalated into a full war. Israel intensified its aerial campaign, culminating in a ground invasion of southern Lebanon. Hezbollah said its attacks on Israel were in support of its ally Hamas in the Gaza strip, but critics say the groups intervention did little to curb Israel's Gaza offensive, which has killed about 44,330 Palestinians since October 2023. Instead, Israel acted with similarly deadly and disproportionate force in Lebanon.
Israel's onslaught throughout Lebanon has killed at least 3,961 people and displaced 1.2 million, according to Lebanese government estimates – the vast majority in the course of the last two months.
Hossam and Nour said the war had brought nothing of benefit to Lebanon, only death and destruction beyond reason. Their criticism has made them cautious around media. They requested not to be identified because they feared retribution from Hezbollah would affect the reconstruction reimbursement promised by the group.
“I’m not happy about it. But what should I do? Cry? Pull my hair out? There’s no point,” Nour said, eyes filled with tears. “Twenty years of our life have gone down the drain.”
“If this had served a purpose; if it had freed Gaza or even helped it, if we had helped Palestine, I would understand. But this war was senseless and we’re the ones who’ve suffered because of it.”
Gradual return
Others lucky enough to still have their homes standing, brought in suitcases, mattresses and other belongings from their cars.
Bulldozers cleared rubble and fallen power lines from the roads to allow vehicles to drive in. Men picked up electrical wire extending from their houses into the road, hoping to reconnect their buildings to generators.
A few corner shops reopened to sell cigarettes, dusty cans of vegetables, water bottles and snacks. Residents walked for blocks to find a bread shop
For others, the only option was the sole restaurant still open at the edge of the city. Dozens stood in a cramped line waiting as the overworked staff attempted to make sense of the orders: 13 felafel sandwiches for one group of returnees, eight for another.
Meanwhile, municipal workers are scrambling to reconnect water lines.
Tyre’s main water pumping station, supplying about 30,000 people, was destroyed by an Israeli strike that also killed two municipal employees in early November. A crater exists where the station had functioned two weeks ago.
Tarek Barakat, the manager of the water pumping administration, said officials were looking for an alternative way to bring water to the city within 24 hours.
“Tyre has no water right now,” he said. “So we’re going to connect directly from another pumping station, depending on what’s available to us. Depending on a pump from somewhere else will of course cause water shortage issues – but it’s our only option right now.”
Mr Barakat and other municipal employees were only able to inspect the destroyed station on Wednesday, when the ceasefire took effect. With the devastation nearly total, it will take three to six months to fix the station, he said – leaving Tyre’s returning residents to rely on limited water.
Without even the basic necessities of electricity, water and food available in the city, Hossam and Nour said they would drive back to Beirut for the night, where they’ve temporarily rented a flat, until the situation improves in Tyre.
The city’s mayor, Hussein Dbouk, said more than 50 residential complexes had been annihilated by Israeli strikes – not including partially damaged buildings such as Nour and Hossam’s.
“People are coming in the day to inspect their homes and then leaving at night” because the lack of services is too challenging for most to stay longer than a day.
“Things will return gradually,” Mr Dbouk said. “Not overnight.”
“Tyre’s residents are patient and stubborn. They’ll come back.”
