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.