Lebanese Return Home To Rebuild Shattered Lives
Komfie Manalo - All Headline News Foreign Correspondent Beirut, Lebanon (AHN) - Thousands of Lebanese streamed back into southern Lebanon minutes after a cease-fire between Israel and the Hezbollah guerrillas took into effect Monday morning. One man was even captured on television kissing the ground as he returned home. People packed their cars with mattresses and some covered their faces as they slowly snaked their way into the bombed out roads of southern Lebanon, even as some areas were still smoldering from previous air strikes by Israeli war planes minutes before the truce begins. Both sides tried to inflict as much damage against each other at the last minute before the truce went into effect. Refugees flooded the shattered towns and villages, but rebuilding their homes and shattered lives were still a very long way. Reports from various news agencies said that in one hour alone, over a thousand cars crossed the main route from Beirut to Nabatiye. Some 5,000 from the Syrian border crossed back into Lebanon to find what was left of their community. Some took advantage of a newly repaired bridge over the Litani River, just north of Tyre, which is also speeding up the arrival of humanitarian aid. Ahmad Maana said, "I just want to find my home." He returned to Kafra, about five miles from the Israeli border, only to find whole sections of his former community flattened by relentless Israeli air strikes and |
