Eid al-Adha overshadowed by war in south Lebanon villages

Residents of southern Lebanon's border villages — including Shebaa, Kfarhamam and Marj al-Zouhour — marked Eid al-Adha on Saturday amid mass displacement and ongoing Israeli attacks that have transformed the religious holiday from a time of crowded family gatherings into a season of uncertainty and loss, with schools converted into emergency shelters across the region. Across the Arqoub region in Lebanon's Hasbaya district, continuing attacks and security fears have altered daily life and stripped the holiday of many of its familiar traditions, according to Anadolu Agency.

Displacement without end

Inside a school in Marj al-Zouhour that has been converted into an emergency shelter, 34-year-old Nasreen Abdul Aal lives with her family in the crowded classrooms after being displaced three times from Ain Arab village in the Marjayoun district. She told Anadolu that her family briefly returned home during an earlier truce but remained only days before residents were again told to leave, adding that "families no longer gather, and children can no longer recognize the atmosphere of Eid." Repeated displacement has left deep psychological scars on families and children, she noted, while farmers have lost harvest seasons and livelihoods and many families increasingly fear losing their homes entirely amid continued attacks.

Holding on despite war

In Kfarhamam, 60-year-old Um Najib Fares has refused to leave her home despite intensified nighttime airstrikes and shelling, stating that explosions have become part of daily life and "we remain in our homes despite everything," even as holidays that once brought together children and grandchildren have become occasions marked by absence. Kfarhamam Mayor Mouad Rahhal told Anadolu that Eid al-Adha traditionally served as a vital social occasion reconnecting scattered families and relatives, but today many displaced families hesitate to return even during religious holidays for fear of worsening security conditions and renewed violence. Around 110 families remain in the town despite the difficult conditions, Rahhal added, describing an unprecedented social emptiness across border villages that has replaced the usual holiday crowds.

Expanded offensive continues

In Shebaa, 83-year-old Rasmiya Zoghbi still insists on preparing traditional Eid cookies and preserving fragments of cultural tradition despite an atmosphere overshadowed by anxiety, saying holidays should remain a time for goodness and prayers that families may one day return home, while others who stayed behind continue trying to maintain simple rituals in the embattled region. Israel has conducted an expanded offensive on Lebanon since March 2, killing nearly 3,200 people, injuring over 9,600 and displacing more than 1.6 million people, according to official figures. The Israeli army has continued its daily attacks despite a US-mediated ceasefire that took effect on April 17 and was later extended to early July.