A column of smoke rises from Naqoura, in the Sour district, on March 23, 2026, in south Lebanon following an Israeli bombardment. (Credit: Matthieu Karam/L’Orient-Le Jour)
Sour is now connected to the rest of the country by little more than a thread: a bridge of around 30 meters long spanning the Litani River amid banana groves and wild vegetation along the coastal road. On Sunday, a strike targeted the main axis in Qasmieh. The Israeli army has been ordered to destroy the other crossing points over the river. The army post is deserted. Soldiers remain at a distance under a tent by the roadside, paying little attention to the occasional passing vehicles.Under a gray sky, the colors of a Red Cross ambulance stand out against the yellow flags of Hezbollah. The driver, wearing a ballistic helmet, speeds by. On the main road from Abbasieh leading toward the major southern city, closed or abandoned shops line the route one after another. New destruction blends with the remnants of the previous war. For several...
Sour is now connected to the rest of the country by little more than a thread: a bridge of around 30 meters long spanning the Litani River amid banana groves and wild vegetation along the coastal road. On Sunday, a strike targeted the main axis in Qasmieh. The Israeli army has been ordered to destroy the other crossing points over the river. The army post is deserted. Soldiers remain at a distance under a tent by the roadside, paying little attention to the occasional passing vehicles.Under a gray sky, the colors of a Red Cross ambulance stand out against the yellow flags of Hezbollah. The driver, wearing a ballistic helmet, speeds by. On the main road from Abbasieh leading toward the major southern city, closed or abandoned shops line the route one after another. New destruction blends with the remnants of the previous war. For...
