Zawtar al-gharbiyeh: Five months of relentless Israeli bombardment have left the town of Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh in southern Lebanon in shambles. Residents returning to the border town described massive destruction in their areas as homes were completely or partially destroyed, burned, and vandalized, with roads bulldozed and infrastructure widely damaged. The Israeli army withdrew from the town last week under a US-mediated framework agreement signed last month between Lebanon and Israel.
According to TRTworld.com, the town lies south of the Litani River and is among the pilot areas included in the first phase of the agreement. This agreement calls for a gradual Israeli withdrawal from occupied Lebanese territory, with the Lebanese army assuming security responsibility in areas vacated by Israeli forces, along with the disarmament of armed groups, including Hezbollah. The scale of destruction is huge and extensive, and the damage is indescribable, Mayor Abd Ezzedine told Anadolu.
The Israeli army has completely destroyed around 260 housing units in the town, home to around 5,000 residents. The mayor noted that many houses suffered partial damage in the Israeli assault. Nearly half of the houses are no longer fit for habitation and need to be demolished, while others require restoration. Ezzedine said some residents began returning from the first day they were allowed to enter the town. Those who have a place to shelter or can sit in their homes have started returning and repairing what they can, but the numbers remain low. We are working to reopen roads and follow up on infrastructure, water, and electricity, he added.
Lebanese resident Ihsan Yaghi, 60, said she was shocked by the scale of destruction in the town. Our house was burned and destroyed. Everything here was burned. Our whole life has been burned, she told Anadolu while inspecting the house. Yaghi said she had cleaned part of the place, describing her return to the town as the most important step despite the scale of destruction. She said she uses social media to share residents' suffering. Many people cannot speak or express themselves, so I express their pain because they are my family, my village, and my people, she said.
Mohammed, 10, said his family's home was destroyed but insisted they would rebuild it better. My family cannot stay in the house now and will leave the area later Tuesday, he said. Thuraya Noureddine, 65, said damage had affected all parts of her son's home. The bedroom was ruined, and the living room has no walls left. The house cannot be lived in. They left nothing undestroyed, she told Anadolu.
Abbas, 46, who declined to give his full name, said Israeli forces had been present in the area for a long time, and traces of their presence remain visible inside homes. Their food is still there, as well as their sleeping places, in addition to the destruction they left in the house and the town in general, he said. He described the damage as catastrophic. The house has no foundations and no columns. Bombs were detonated inside the house, damaging the building's structure, while fires consumed its contents and furniture, he added.
Since March 2, 2026, Israeli attacks on Lebanon have killed 4,330 people and injured 12,236 others, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry. Israel still occupies areas in southern Lebanon despite the agreement, some for decades and others since the 2023-2024 confrontations. It has also advanced more than 10 kilometres into Lebanese territory during the current offensive.