Lebanon tried to replicate its history this Sunday, 25 years later. Thousands of residents from the south of the country rushed -first by car and then on foot- towards the villages still occupied by the Israeli army, trying to replicate the events of May 2000 when a crowd stormed the border region, causing the collapse of the local militia allied with Tel Aviv and the hasty withdrawal of the Israeli military.
However, this time, the Israeli military blocked the advance of civilians with tanks, drones, and bursts of machine gun fire, leaving a tragic toll of at least 22 dead and more than 124 injured, according to Lebanese authorities. Among the deceased are two women and a soldier from the nation's armed forces.
Scenes of chaos, screams, and blood multiplied throughout the day along the border that divides the two nations. Israel had prohibited the residents of more than 60 municipalities in southern Lebanon from returning to their homes. The shootings were particularly intense in enclaves such as the aforementioned Kfar Kila, Houla, Markaba, or Adaisah.
Like the rest of the area, the residents of Kfar Kila gathered early in the morning in the town of Burj al Maluk. From there, they began to march, ignoring the warnings of the Lebanese army and even surpassing the barbed wire that the soldiers had laid on the road to try to prevent their passage. At the end of the road, just at the entrance of Kfar Kila, an Israeli jeep could be seen. The soldiers from the neighboring country had blocked the road with two mounds of earth.
The walk ended with shots fired by the neighboring country's army, leaving several injured. The residents of Kfar Kila managed to place flags of the Hezbollah and Amal groups on the mounds of earth, but had to retreat several hundred meters.
"Why are they still here? They were supposed to return to Israel today. What's the point of the agreements you sign with Israel if they are always going to break them?," asked Hassan Shitt, the mayor of Kfar Kila, at that time of the day.
The official referred to Tel Aviv's decision to ignore the 60-day limit it had to withdraw from the border areas of Lebanon that it still occupies, which expired this Sunday. Israel's decision calls into question the ceasefire signed in November, which ended the confrontation between that state and the Hezbollah paramilitaries.
The conversation with Hassan was interrupted when another shot hit another neighbor. In this case, the group wasn't even moving. They had only gathered in the middle of the road.
"What's the point of the surveillance by the United States and France. We will stay here until we can enter our homes. Now we have entered another phase and we know how to make Israel leave our land," Shitt added in what seemed like a veiled warning.
Residents of Kfar Kila like Abu Ahmed (as he identified himself) were trying to return to their village to assess the immense damage caused by the war. The 65-year-old Lebanese man explained that he has lost eight houses and a large food warehouse, which used to supply most of the supermarkets in the area. "They even stole the olive trees. We're talking about dozens of trees planted by my ancestors' grandparents. I estimate I have lost about 5 million dollars," he said.
"They have taken revenge on Kfar Kila because they encountered a lot of resistance," he added.
Next to him, Pierre Riziq, 56, showed pictures of his vehicle, hit by a drone projectile on October 1st. The rocket pierced the roof of the car. He saved his life by running to the house but was injured in the arm. That day he decided to leave Burj al Maluk. He still cannot return to his home.
"I don't know if it's okay or if it has been destroyed. They don't let us pass," he recounted.
The confusion that was perceived in the vicinity of Kfar Kila turned into screams of total panic in Adaisah, another urban center located meters from the border with Israel. Here, young people were engaged in a risky standoff that led them to advance slowly towards the Israelis, who responded intermittently with bursts and the advance of a Merkava tank.
At two in the afternoon, the sound of the armored vehicle's tracks and its discharges once again caused the attendees to run. "The Merkava is coming! The Merkava is coming!" shouted a young man who at the same time accelerated his motorcycle, triggering a general stampede.
Minutes later, ambulances rushed to evacuate the last victims.
"They have been attacking us with smoke bombs launched by drones, shots, and now tanks," recounted Bassel Ramal, 40, who was trying to return to Adaisah.
Rescue teams in the neighboring town of Taybeh were busy mid-morning recovering the remains of the bodies still buried under the rubble.
Hizbullah MP Ali Fayyad attended this operation and stated that the extensive destruction that also extended throughout the town is a "clear example that Israel has taken advantage of the ceasefire to implement a scorched earth policy."
"The West has deceived us again. Lebanon fulfilled its part of the agreement. Israel did not," he added.
The blue helmets deployed in the southern part of the country -where there is a significant Spanish contingent- warned that Israel's actions destabilize the fragile ceasefire and asked Tel Aviv to "avoid shooting at civilians on Lebanese territory," clearly acknowledging the responsibility of the military of that country in the bloody incidents.
The Israeli armed forces issued a statement in which they accused Hezbollah of inciting the population to return to their villages. The military admitted to firing at the southern residents but said it was to "eliminate threats where suspects approaching were identified."
Their Arabic spokesperson, Avichay Adraee, indicated that they had responded to the "rioters" sent -according to him- by the irregulars, now under the command of Naim Qassem, who added, "they are trying to escalate the situation."
Israel did withdraw from other border areas such as the emblematic village of Khiam or Taybeh, where most of its inhabitants were able to enter for the first time.
The first town was a Hezbollah stronghold both in the recent conflict and in 2006, where the Israeli army failed to seize it, as it is believed to have numerous underground defenses.
The price paid by this small metropolis is overwhelming. Excavators managed to open a path through the ruins, but the route is a journey through piles of rubble and dozens of cars crushed by tanks.
A local Hezbollah official estimated that "85 percent" of the houses have been completely or partially destroyed. "They all have to be torn down," he specified. Although he did not want to give his name, the authority with which he gave orders to the militants in the area made his position clear. Just like his mutilated right hand. A reminder of the series of attacks organized by Israel against hundreds of prominent activists of the armed group in September of last year, placing explosives in pagers.
According to his testimony, the "60 percent" of the spectacular damages seen in Khiam occurred after the ceasefire came into effect on November 27th. "The Israelis could never enter Khiam, but they took advantage of us withdrawing our fighters to enter the city and loot it. They are cowards," he commented.
The aforementioned accusation was repeated by dozens of people in the villages visited during the day. An investigation by the American newspaper The Washington Post confirmed last week that Israel had destroyed more than 800 homes on the border line after November 27th, at an average of 26 per day.
The devastation in Khiam spared no type of structure. From churches to mosques, schools, or even the town hall, which was burned down. Also severely damaged was the infamous local prison located on a hill. This was the prison used by Israelis and allied militias to lock up thousands of opponents in harsh conditions, earning it a grim reputation.
The liberation of Khiam prison on May 23, 2000, hastened the disintegration of the Lebanese militia allied with Israel and accelerated the Israeli withdrawal around that time.
Several walls of the complex - which was a barracks during the French colonial era - have been brought down by projectiles. On the ground of the compound, a poster with the face of Hassan Nasrallah and a slogan stating: "We are a people who do not leave their captives in prison" can be seen.
Despite the absolute devastation seen in all the towns near Israel, Hezbollah tried to present the date as a political "victory" and mobilized a crowd that roamed the area with the formation's yellow flags, portraits of the late Hassan Nasrallah, and many other fighters who perished in the war.
At the entrances of many villages, young followers of the group distributed food, coffee, or threw rice as cars passed by. In others, loudspeakers blared militant anthems.
There are many Lebanese who witness the demolition of their homes as if it were already a recurring episode in their existence. For Abbas Hassan Haidar, this is the fifth time he will have to rebuild his house. The Israelis demolished it in 1970, 1983, 2000, 2006, and in the current conflict. "We have had very bad luck with our neighbors. The Israelis are bad people", concluded.