A portrait of President Joseph Aoun in his hometown, Aishieh, in the Jezzine district. (Credit: Stephanie Khouri/L'OLJ)
No children play in the streets, and no neighbors gather to chat by the roadside. Grocery stores, pharmacies, vegetable stalls, gas stations, bakeries, and cafes have all pulled down their shutters.Aishieh is not like other Christian-majority villages in south Lebanon, where staying has become an act of collective resistance. For nearly a month, its streets have been deserted. The few remaining residents “can be counted on one hand,” said Joseph Aoun, 35, who is unemployed.The mayor’s son is among those who have stayed. In normal times, he travels to Nabatieh, the nearest city, for supplies. Since the war resumed, however, the roads have become impassable.The village, at the southern edge of the Jezzine district, is surrounded by towns bombed daily by Israel. On March 29, a strike hit a motorcycle on the outskirts of Aishieh. In the...
No children play in the streets, and no neighbors gather to chat by the roadside. Grocery stores, pharmacies, vegetable stalls, gas stations, bakeries, and cafes have all pulled down their shutters.Aishieh is not like other Christian-majority villages in south Lebanon, where staying has become an act of collective resistance. For nearly a month, its streets have been deserted. The few remaining residents “can be counted on one hand,” said Joseph Aoun, 35, who is unemployed.The mayor’s son is among those who have stayed. In normal times, he travels to Nabatieh, the nearest city, for supplies. Since the war resumed, however, the roads have become impassable.The village, at the southern edge of the Jezzine district, is surrounded by towns bombed daily by Israel. On March 29, a strike hit a motorcycle on the outskirts of Aishieh. In...