The flow of cars returning from villages in southern Lebanon after a brief return following the ceasefire that came into effect in Lebanon on April 17, 2026. (Credit: Mohammad Yassine/L'Orient-Le Jour)
Sitting on a bench in the courtyard of Maarouf Saad High School in Saida, southern Lebanon, Nour smokes a hookah. "When the cease-fire was announced [on April 16], we hit the road at dawn the next day to return to Nabatieh al-Fawqa," says this young mother to one-year-old twins."Our house is still standing, but the destruction is tremendous. There are practically no roads left; we were driving over glass and sand. And there's no electricity," she describes. Despite being determined to stay, the family lasted only one night."It was frightening, the explosions were very loud. The Israelis are surely dynamiting whole neighborhoods not far away, but without internet there, we didn't know exactly what was happening."Back in Saida the very next day, Nour returned to the high school reception center. Her...
Sitting on a bench in the courtyard of Maarouf Saad High School in Saida, southern Lebanon, Nour smokes a hookah. "When the cease-fire was announced [on April 16], we hit the road at dawn the next day to return to Nabatieh al-Fawqa," says this young mother to one-year-old twins."Our house is still standing, but the destruction is tremendous. There are practically no roads left; we were driving over glass and sand. And there's no electricity," she describes. Despite being determined to stay, the family lasted only one night."It was frightening, the explosions were very loud. The Israelis are surely dynamiting whole neighborhoods not far away, but without internet there, we didn't know exactly what was happening."Back in Saida the very next day, Nour returned to the high school reception center. Her...
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