Lebanese Civilians Stay in Southern Border Towns as 18-Year Israeli Occupation Fears Resurface
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jul 13
Lebanese Civilians Stay in Southern Border Towns as 18-Year Israeli Occupation Fears Resurface
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jul 13
Summary
Families in southern Lebanon are staying in towns such as Marjayoun despite months of Israel-Hezbollah violence and fears that Israeli-held territory could remain occupied.
Marjayoun, near the Israeli border, has emptied out as businesses shut, homes sit padlocked and remaining residents make limited trips for groceries and medicine.
Residents say the threat goes beyond current fighting: a prolonged war or continued Israeli presence could turn temporary displacement into permanent loss of homes and farmland.
Memories of Israel’s 1982-2000 occupation still shape those fears, when access to villages, farms and daily life in southern Lebanon was restricted for years.