Baraachit, South Lebanon, stories of survival

Location: Baraachit, South Lebanon
Time: August 2006, Post Israel's war on Lebanon
Status: Destruction, damage and ruins all around


Baraachit, situated in the caza of Bint Jbeil suffered the first missile of Israel's aggression. This house collapsed on an entire family, leaving the father and his daughter killed, and the others wounded.

Looking around this devastated southern village, the church's dome meets that of the mosque, as if all religions were uniting to pray for the rebirth of Baraachit.

All those who stayed in the village, at least 80 people took refuge inside this shelter.

Although it was the target of a fierce and inhumane destruction, like so many other villages in South Lebanon, stories of survival and resistance strike the eye as remarkable especially of those who survived under the direct bombardments for 34 days.

Boulos Yaacoub, an 85 year old and his disabled wife of 75 year old remained in their house in bomb stricken Baraachit all throughout the aggression. For 34 days, the kitchen and the bathroom were their only shelter. Every two days, he would open the door of his house to find to his surprise, some canned food and some bread.

Boulos Yaacoub saying " fear made us unconscious, We never knew what time they would bombard us, and what time would leave us in peace."

Although he has 9 children, all were in Beirut, and he was not able to run away. "My hands and legs were tied together from fear," he said. Sitting on the bathroom floor, Boulos tells us he had lost hope in surviving, and he was sure that a missile was going to hit his house; it's like someone waiting for his death.

Boulos Yaacoub saying "My mind is not stable till now, I saw death in my own eyes"

Miraculously they survived. It's a miracle because this is what has become of the surroundings of their house.
We depart from Boulos Yaacoub's house, and head towards another story of survival in Baraachit. They were 15 people to stay inside this house, inside this room, most were children.
And when we asked 5 year old Ghazal if she was scared, this was her frightened response
Her grandmother tells us that they had no other escape but to stay in their village.
Sukna Yassine saying "We would not dare to go outside the house, and we had no means of transportation to run away, and no communication."


Ismail Ramadab, an Arabic teacher in Baraachit tells us about the situation post-war "The only aid that reached the village were food portions, the basic things you need to have to survive are not present , no water no electricity."

Moving further into the village, the old historic neighborhood of Baraachit , proof of the uncivilized actions of Israel that tried to erase an entire history of culture and tradition.

All that was left now were stones that would someday tell the story of a village that courageously faced an enemy infamous of miscellaneous destruction.

Aita Al Shaab, South Lebanon: A story of sorrow and joy

From the Lebanese who returned to their war-torn villages, there were those who reunited with their families, others who lost loved ones, and most returned to find their houses destroyed. For Hussein Saleh he returned to his Southern border village of Aita Al Shaab and reunited with his wife and children. Unfortunately, his in-laws were killed and his house occupied by Israelis and later on destroyed. I followed the journey of a family torn between joy for their reunion and sorrow for their losses.

When we first saw Hussein Saleh he was sitting at a school desk in Burj Abu Haidar’s public school, where he had taken refuge during the Israeli war on Lebanon and lost any contact with all his family members. We reunited with Hussein Saleh, this time in his war ravaged village on the southern Lebanese border, Aita Al Shaab his war ravaged village.

This time Hussein was not alone, he was luckily surrounded by his wife, five children and grandchildren. Hussein, or Abu Nizar was stuck in Beirut the first day the war started and could not come back to his house, as Aita Al Shaab was one of the first villages to face the fiercest confrontations between Hezbollah and Israel.

"We came back to the village as soon as the ceasfire was brokered, it was difficult, Israelis are still around. You can see them at night, and hear their machinries, during the day they hide"

His wife first ran away with her paralyzed grandchild to the neighboring village of Rmeich. But when the battles got closer and fiercer, a press envoy escorted them to Sidon, where they took refuge at a school. His two children, Mohammad and Nizar, left Aita Al Shaab after 15 days and took refuge in Majdelyoun, near Sidon.

His wife's parents and brother were killed in their house in Aita Al Shaab. Her mother and father died instantly, her brother died, as the Red Cross could not reach himand succumbed to his wounds.

The war dispersed Abu Nizar’s family and destroyed his house. On the road to his ravaged house, Abu Nizar, who is now staying with at his son, tells us that he still has not yet decided what to do, but thanking god he and his family reunited. He recalls what was of his neighbors’ houses, shops and grieves for the peaceful old days.

We reach his house. A donkey lays astray, and one cow survived. Abu Nizar’s house, like many others in Aita Al Shaab was used as a main front for the Israelis as traces and leftovers lay there in the rubble proof of their staying in the house. Cigarette boxes, chocolate boxes, tuna and corn cans “Made In Israel” .And the most distinguished sign, a big stain of blood on a bed cover, sign of a wounded Israeli soldier.

We move further into the village or what was of the village. Aita Al Shaab who beholds 30.000 residents suffered the destruction of almost 95% of its houses, shops and infrastructure. No one could really assess the number of houses that were left to crumble here and one question hunts the head of those who view this horrific scene “What was used to destroy these houses?”

From Tyre to Siddikin, Tebnine and the border town of Bint Jbeil....

Over a million Lebanese were forced to leave their homes during the Israeli war on Lebanon. Since the first day the ceasefire was brokered, almost all of the displaced have returned to inspect their homes, shops and lost family members. From Tyre to Siddikin, Tebnine and the border town of Bint Jbeil the image is the same: destruction all around. The following is the script of the visual report that i did for the TV station i work for.....



The journey to South Lebanon is long and arduous but once you get there the fatigue of the 6 hours road fades away facing the fright of the destruction and the smell of the disaster.

During the 34 destructive days of the Israeli war on Lebanon, not one bridge was spared. The Damour Bridge that once linked Lebanon's central capital Beirut with the capital of the South; Sidon was now simply pieces of rubble embracing a burnt car, with its passenger's faith unknown. And this is only one sample of Israeli aggression.

This looks like a nice road for an adventurous Safari ride…however this is the only road leading to Tyre, as the Qasmiyeh Bridge was one of the targets of Israeli missiles. All the cars are those of residents of south, waiting anxiously to return to their homes in hope of finding their precious belongings … but unfortunately you might come across the same cars on your way back to Beirut as most of their homes no longer exist.

First stop the city of Tyre… while some were unwinding and reviving the beach of Tyre … Others were inspecting the damage of their houses…. Here two buildings collapsed, with two bodies feared to be under the rubble.

Another scene at Tyre represents the impact of the war on the Lebanese, Ghassan Burji, an owner of a well-known bakery in the town, lost hope in the country and is returning to Africa. He lived through three wars. “It’s impossible to live and work in this country.”

On the road again, next stop Siddikin. Not a single house stands…one color paints the image of Siddikin…The grey burnt rubble…the picture explains it clearly…

A Woman stands in the middle of the rubble, inspecting her house… “Here’s my house, This was my car, These were my three shops, everything now resembles to crumbled biscuits. I have seven children, we have no other choice now but to stay with friends in a nearby village.”

Burnt cars, burnt ambulances group of experts trying to dismantle the unexploded leftovers of the Israelis and the roar of Israeli MK's over our heads. This is what has become of Tebnine. This is Tebnine's governmental hospital, that served as a refuge for at least 370 people during the 33 days of war.

Last stop, Bint Jbeil, the town, which overlooks the village of Maroun Al-Rass where Israel and Hezbollah conducted their fiercest battles. One Israeli leftover poses for the cameras, a missile.

Ghost city, a scene out of Hollywood, a devastated town, all of these descriptions were linked to Bint Jbeil. One clear thing is asserted Bint Jbeil is the town of confrontation. And the Bazzi family is one resistance group that stood by Bint Jbeil all throughout the war.

Mohamad Bazzi told us their story of survival “We stayed here for 34 days, with bombs raining all around the house. We are only alive today thanks to god. We ate anything that was left in the house. No one knew we were still in the house.”

Mohammad Bazzi guided us to his house. There he and his family members, 11 of them, with some mentally disabled, resisted the Israeli aggression their only arm, their faith in God. This is where they slept. We meet his sister, a disabled aged woman with both her legs amputated.

Mohammad's brother tells us that 14 unexploded devices were thrown by the Israelis at the surroundings of their house. They might explode at any minute.

Mohammad's niece, who was in Beirut during the war, expressed her happiness to find the miracle of finding her family members alive with tears…”They forgot the taste of bread” she said.

We said farewell to the overwhelmed Bazzi family resistance group, and stepped out of the cautiously calm village of Bint Jbeil…

Meanwhile, Israel welcomed back the residents of the South in its own way, flyers rained down on the border villages asking the residents if they were happy to see everything they possess destroyed, blaming it on Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nassrallah and threatening to return if they suspect any Hezbollah action against Israel.

An 8 year old boy :"Is my house still standing?"

I was in a village called Kayfoun today in Souk Al Ghareb,working on a report for the TV station i work for about the work of "medecins sans frontieres."

Our first stop was a school, one boy, i give him 8 years max! he saw that we were filming and reporting, he came up to me and asked "did u film in Dahieh?" I told him no another crew went to that area, i didnt even finish my answer, he told me "I just wanted to know if u saw ,my house, if it's still standing." .....

This is an 8 year old boy, that wakes up, sleeps and dreams hoping that each air strikes he hears, falls right next to his house, but not ON his house....

AUGUST 12: FROM MARTYR SQUARE TO SOUTHERN LEBANON

Subject: Press Release-Lebanon: An Open Country for Civil Resistance Please distribute as widely as you can. Thank you.

On August 12, at 7 am, Lebanese from throughout the country and international supporters who have come to Lebanon to express solidarity will gather in Martyr’s Square in Beirut to form a civilian convoy to the south of Lebanon.آ Hundreds of Lebanese and international civilians will express their solidarity with the inhabitants of the heavily destroyed south who have been bravely withstanding the assault of the Israeli military. This campaign is endorsed by more than 200 Lebanese and international organizations. This growing coalition of national and international non-governmental organizations hereby launches a campaign of civil resistance for the purpose of challenging the cruel and ruthless use of massive military force by Israel, the regional superpower, upon the people of Lebanon. August 12 marks the start of this Campaign of Resistance, declaring Lebanon an Open Country for Civil Resistance.

August 12 also marks both the international day of protest against the Israeli aggression. "In the face of Israel’s systematic killing of our people, the indiscriminate bombing of our towns, the scorching of our villages, and the attempted destruction of our civil infrastructure, we say No! In the face of the forced expulsion of a quarter of our population from their homes throughout Lebanon, and the complicity of governments and international bodies, we re-affirm the acts of civil resistance that began from the first day of the Israeli assault, and we stress and add the urgent need to act!," said Rasha Salti, one of the organizers of this national event. After August 12, the campaign will continue with a series of civil actions, leading to an August 19 civilian march to reclaim the South. "Working together, in solidarity, we will overcome the complacency, inaction, and complicity of the international community and we will deny Israel its goal of removing Lebanese from their land and destroying the fabric of our country," explained Samah Idriss, writer and co-organizer of this campaign. "An international civilian presence in Lebanon is not only an act of solidarity with the Lebanese people in the face of unparalleled Israeli aggression, it is an act of moral courage to defy the will of those who would seek to alienate the West from the rest and create a new Middle East out of the rubble and blood of the region," said Huwaida Arraf, co-founder of the International Solidarity Movement and campaign co-organizer. "After having witnessed the wholesale destruction of villages by Israel's air force and navy and having visited the victims (so-called displaced) of Israel's policy of cleansing Lebanese civilians from their homes," continued Arraf, "it is imperative to go south and reach those who have stayed behind to resist by steadfastly remaining on their land."

If you are in Lebanon and want to sign up and join the convoy, contact either: Rasha Salti. Email: convois.citoyens.sud.liban@gmail.com <mailto:convois.citoyens.sud.liban@gmail.com>آ آ آ آ . Tel: +961 3 970 855 Rania Masri. Email: rania.masri@balamand.edu.lb. Tel: +961 3 135 279 or +961 6 930 250 xt. 5683 or xt. 3933

If you are outside Lebanon and want to sign up and join the convoy, you should know:
1) You need to obtain a visa for Lebanon and for Syria if your plan is to enter Lebanon from Syria.
2) We don't have the funds to cover for the cost of your travel, however we can help with finding accomodations.
For questions and help for all internationals please contact Adam Shapiro at: adamsop@hotmail.com

You can also sign up on our website: www.lebanonsolidarity.org

This campaign is thus far endorsed by more than 200 organizations, including: The Arab NGOs Network for Development (ANND), International Solidarity Movement (ISM), Cultural Center for Southern Lebanon, Norwegian People’s Aid, Lebanese Center for Policy Studies, Lebanese Association for Democratic Elections, Frontiers, Kafa, Nahwa al-Muwatiniya, Spring Hints, Hayya Bina, Lebanese Transparency Association, Amam05, Lebanese Center for Civic Education, Let’s Build Trust, CRTD-A, Solida, National Association for Vocational Training and Social Services, Lebanese Development Pioneers, Nadi Li Koul Alnas, and Lecorvaw.

Lebanon as a playground!

WAJED RAMADAN HIGHLIGHTS THE LEBANESE REALITY:

La Force multinationale déjà prête à défendre le Liban…

et avec toute la volonté du monde !

1. 200 étudiants iraniens

2. les miliciens irakiens du chiite Moqtada Sadr prêts aux martyrs pour sauver Nasrallah

3. Les militants du Jihad Islamique qui veulent venger les martyrs de Cana avant ceux de Gaza

4. Saad Oussama Ben Laden, que Damas veut maintenant relâcher chez nous

5. Les moudjahiddine d’Al Qaeda qui veulent venir soutenir les sunnites face à l’arc chiite

Camp d’en face
calme plat et sueurs froides

1. Les Etats Unis,
2. l’ONU,
3. l’Otan
4. l’Union européenne
préfèrent ATTENDRE… voir se réaliser un nouveau Proche

STOP PLAYING AROUND WITH LEBANON!

Imagine a Football court: Two teams and one ball.
The two teams that are playing: The Arab World vs. the International Community...
And the ball...obviously...LEBANON!
In the first half time... Arab world condemns Israel, International community condemns Hezbollah! And the Ball, the Lebanese civilians are being played with, tortured and massacred with both teams ENJOYING IT!
In the second half time...Arab world calls for an immediate ceasefire...International community calls for "restraint" and obviously the ball, Lebanese civilians are being played with, tortured and massacred!!!
And now all eyes are waiting for the game to end...
Who will win??
The rules of the game would probably change for once... and the Lebanese would end the game by giving red cards to both teams, and one voice would rise saying........STOP PLAYING WITH US!!!!!!!

Lebanon,Qana funerals postponed after Israeli bombing raids

ISN'T IT ENOUGH THAT U KILLED MASSACRED THEM!!!AT LEAST LET THEM BE BURRIED PEACEFULLY!!!

AFP
Qana funerals postponed after Israeli bombing raids ATTENTION - ADDS quotes, background /// TYRE, Lebanon, Aug 2, 2006 (AFP) - The funerals of the victims of Israeli raids on the Lebanese village of Qana, due to take place on Wednesday in the port of Tyre, were postponed after Israeli bombardment of the area, the head of the town council said.
"The funerals have been postponed to a later date owing to the situation in the city," said Abdel Mohsen al-Husseini.
The Israeli air force on Wednesday carried out air raids at the entrance to Tyre, close to the Palestinian refugee camp of Burj al-Chemali.
In all, 95 people had been due to be interred in a mass grave in Tyre Wednesday, including the 52 dead from the Qana bombing, most of whom were children.