
One of Hamas' convoys in Saida to celebrate the end of the war in Gaza, with a portrait Ismail Haniyeh, the movement's leader who was assassinated by Israel in Iran last July. (Credit: Photo sent by Muntasser Abdallah)
Despite repeated warnings from Palestinian and Lebanese authorities about the dangers of "celebratory" gunfire following the announcement of a cease-fire in Gaza between Hamas and Israel, many people took to the streets on Wednesday evening, firing shots in the air to celebrate the end of more than a year of war in Gaza that has claimed the lives of nearly 50,000 people.
While our sources reported one death and three injuries, an Internal Security Forces (ISF) representative confirmed the toll of three wounded only.
According to information from our correspondent and news circulating on social networks, the shots fired in the air from Palestinian refugee camps killed a young man in Beirut's southern suburbs.
Despite the complaints made by many Lebanese and Palestinians in the Ain al-Helweh Palestinian refugee camp in Saida, the scenes of jubilation were accompanied by heavy gunfire, injuring one person in the southern Lebanese city of Saida. According to our correspondent, the victim is a child named Mohammad Chebli.
Stray bullets also wounded at least three people in the Burj al-Shemali Palestinian refugee camp in Sour, reported our correspondent in southern Lebanon.
Celebrations marking the end of the war in Gaza also sparked multiple rallies in southern Lebanon, organized by Hamas, Islamic Jihad and other groups.
In North Lebanon too...
The use of weapons to celebrate the Gaza cease-fire was also reported in northern Lebanon. According to our regional correspondent, at least two people were injured — one in Akkar and the other in Tripoli.
Walid Tartoussi, who was wounded in the Wadi Jamous area of Akkar, had to publish a video on social media to deny rumors of his death from injuries caused by stray bullets. The individual hit in Tripoli sustained minor injuries, according to our correspondent. In addition to the injuries, the stray bullets caused significant damage to homes, including broken windows and damaged solar panels.
This illegal and dangerous practice of shooting into the air to mark an event continues in Lebanon, despite repeated warnings and the resulting loss of innocent lives.
On Wednesday evening, the Lebanese Army conducted a series of searches in the homes of suspected individuals in northern Lebanon.
This article was originally published in French in L'Orient Le-Jour.