Hundreds of displaced Lebanese families accompanied by the Lebanese Army tried to return to their villages in the South, only to find scenes of massive destruction, villages laid to waste and Israeli troops still positioned in several border towns. Many civilians tried to defy the Israeli troops who fired back killing 22 Lebanese, including 6 women and a Lebanese Army soldier.

Israel did not respect the deadline to withdraw completely from Lebanon on Sunday, and following the skirmishes that took place, the Lebanese government agreed to extend the ceasefire until February 18th. In the mean time, the Lebanese Army is asking people to follow military instruction to ensure their safety and avoid further casualties.

The war is far from over for Lebanese southerners, and the path to rebuilding and returning home is a very long and difficult one, given that we don’t have any financial resources or plans for the rebuilding effort. I leave you with some pictures, courtesy of Lebanese Photographer Nabil Ismail, of the war-ravaged villages South of Lebanon.