South Lebanon: 'It’s torture, they are razing our lives before our eyes'

Residents of the village of Mansouri in south Lebanon are helplessly witnessing the Israeli military’s systematic destruction of their town. Standing atop a hill in the neighboring Hanniyeh village, locals from Mansouri observe as Israeli occupation forces dismantle their beloved community. Already damaged from previous conflicts, Mansouri is now being eradicated, particularly during the ceasefire.

The Israeli army has been actively targeting the village, employing demolitions and airstrikes, causing great distress among its approximately 5,000 inhabitants. Once situated outside the "Yellow Line," Israel's security demarcation on Lebanese territory, the village is now entirely occupied. Following the ceasefire, Mansouri residents were forced to flee once more due to Israeli air force attacks.

The village mayor has denounced artillery attacks, as well as drone-delivered grenades and stun grenades. Miraculously, the mayor survived an Israeli attack, while his house remains the sole standing structure in the village. Despite the ongoing devastation, Mansouri residents are determined to return and rebuild their lives, praying for divine assistance.

While most residents have opted to remain displaced further north, daily, a handful of locals from Mansouri pass through Hanniyeh, observing in horror as their village is obliterated. One resident, Ahmad, 47, livestreams the destruction on Facebook, documenting the ongoing destruction for a small audience. He admits the experience is distressing, likening it to the war and Israeli turmoil in Lebanon becoming a spectacle.

The scene near Mansouri is grim, with smoke rising from the ruins of Israeli-controlled explosions in the neighboring village of Hanniyeh. Residents, dressed in tattered clothes and holding makeshift chairs, watch the unfolding tragedy unfold, commenting on the horrors witnessed recently. A drone video showcases Israeli forces lowering explosives vertically from a cable, only to detonate moments later, leaving the town in ruins.

As Israeli vehicles thunder past, kicking up clouds of dust, the villagers are left in silence, reflecting on the desolation that surrounds them.