Lebanon: War, Peace and Hezbollah
In the aftermath of war, a nation returns
After months of war in Lebanon, SBS meets the people returning to their ruined homes and battered lives. But with anger rising towards Hezbollah, what kind of Lebanon will emerge from the rubble?
“I built this house so my kids could belong to this land.” Ibrahim stands amongst the rubble of what used to be his home. Ibrahim’s hometown, Khiam, is about 5 kms from the border with Israel. It was badly hit after months of Israeli airstrikes and a ground invasion. Since October 2024, Israel has killed many thousands and displaced millions of Lebanese citizens, and Lebanese citizens are trapped: “the young Shia man has at best, two choices: either emigrating or following Hezbollah and becoming a martyr”. Yet the tide is turning. While before the war, Hezbollah’s armed wing was stronger than Lebanon’s official Army, now, with its forces weakened, more are finding the courage to speak out, including journalist Mahmoud: “Not all Shia believe that killing and death is the only way to exist in this life”.
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