Two scenes encapsulate the reality in the southern Lebanese town of Ghandouriyeh today.
The first is the determination of many families to return despite the extensive destruction caused by Israel. Many are choosing to sleep among the rubble of their damaged homes rather than remain displaced.
The second is anticipation surrounding the implementation of the first phase of the so-called "framework agreement" between Lebanon and Israel , after reports circulated that the town had been included among the "pilot zones" alongside Froun and Western Zawtar, although it is not occupied and there are no Israeli forces present.
According to the third clause of the agreement signed on 26 June, "the Lebanese Armed Forces will gradually assume full and effective security responsibility in pilot zones , constituting the mechanism through which the phased and verified redeployment of Israeli forces will be implemented, in parallel with the deployment of the Lebanese Armed Forces".
The agreement refers to two pilot zones without naming them.
However, Israeli statements and leaks quickly identified Froun, Ghandouriyeh and Western Zawtar, without any official Lebanese objection or denial, although these towns are not occupied and there are no Israeli forces present.
During the negotiation rounds, Lebanon had insisted that any gradual Israeli withdrawal should begin from occupied areas.
Officials and residents in Ghandouriyeh reject both the Israeli statements and remarks by Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam regarding the town's inclusion in what was described as a "pilot zone", stressing that these descriptions do not reflect the reality on the ground.
A visit by The New Arab to Ghandouriyeh in the Bint Jbeil district found that Israeli occupation forces are not present in the town. However, they attempted to occupy it during the assault to advance into and seize it as part of efforts to reach Froun, but failed.
Units of the Lebanese army and the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) patrol the town. Still, it remains surrounded by occupied towns or areas under Israeli fire control, including Taybeh, Qantara and Qusair.
Its security situation also remains fragile amid continued Israeli airspace violations and ongoing military operations and attacks by the Israeli army in neighbouring villages, including an explosion in Qantara during the visit.
According to observations by TNA, the Israeli army carried out extensive bulldozing and destruction during the assault and attempts to enter the town.
The scale of the devastation is immense, affecting roads, streets, buildings, shops, landmarks, Husseiniyas, mosques, clinics, the cemetery and infrastructure, turning the town into a disaster area lacking even the most basic services, including electricity and water, while access to essential goods and food supplies remains difficult.
Mohammad Ali Nader, mayor of Ghandouriyeh, told TNA, "We will not accept Ghandouriyeh being designated a pilot zone where the occupation army can open fire on anyone it wants, whenever it wants. This is unacceptable, and the description does not apply to the town. It is not occupied, and there are no Israelis here, so how can they withdraw from an area where they are not present?"
Nader said Ghandouriyeh "lies between Nabatieh and Bint Jbeil governorates, has a population of between 1,500 and 2,000 people, and contains around 256 housing units.
"It is a strategic hill coveted by the enemy. Throughout the history of Israel's wars, Israel has sought to destroy it. It destroyed the town in 1978, and today it is doing the same. The destruction is extensive and severe, altering the town's features and rendering it a disaster area. There is no food, no electricity, no water, no water tanks, and the artesian well has been destroyed," he described.
At the same time, Nader said that "the town is not occupied, as demonstrated by the fact that families have continued to return since the ceasefire agreement."
"They have rented homes outside the town because their own houses were destroyed. Other families chose to stay despite their homes being uninhabitable. They have spread bedding on the ground and sleep beneath the rubble and under damaged roofs, especially as displacement has been costly because of high rents, while people have had no work or income for the past four months. They rely primarily on agriculture," he said.
The mayor added that "the municipality has begun removing rubble and carrying out some maintenance work to help people remain and return as much as possible and to reopen roads to facilitate access to their homes, despite limited financial resources and municipal budgets".
At the same time, he said the municipality remained hesitant about clearing debris because "nothing reassures us that we are safe."
"Ghandouriyeh is only 100 metres from the enemy's position in Qantara. We cannot risk travelling or reaching the roads leading to Wadi al-Hujayr. The enemy is treacherous, which is why the Lebanese army has closed these roads to protect people's safety and security," the mayor remarked.
Ghandouriyeh can only be reached via the Qasmiyeh Bridge road, through Deir Qanoun al-Nahr, Maaroub, Dardghaya, Srifa, and Burj Qallawiyeh, which is considered the safest route.
Travelling through the town reveals the scale of the destruction. Although most buildings are no longer fit for habitation, some residents insisted on returning, sleeping on the ground beneath roofs threatened with collapse or on the rubble rather than remaining displaced.
Among them is Ali Qaddouh, who lives with his wife and three children in his heavily damaged home. He said, "Our desire and longing to return to our home and land are greater than our fear that the house could collapse."
Qaddouh told TNA, "Today, Ghandouriyeh is a disaster-stricken town, with more than 95% of it damaged."
"Only a small number of families have returned, even though the necessities of life do not exist. There is no electricity and no water, but we remain steadfast, and psychologically, we are more at ease here than in any place of displacement," he noted.
Qaddouh added that "Ghandouriyeh has borne the brunt of every previous Israeli war , but the Israeli occupier failed to take control of it and is not present here today."
"It sold our government the idea that it is a pilot area. It did not enter the town to withdraw from it," he said.
Amid widespread destruction and on the ruins of his son's demolished home, Hussein Hammoud continues his charcoal business after air strikes destroyed his home and warehouses.
He said there was no option but to continue working with whatever was available, "because we have to work so we can live and eat".
Hammoud said some families had been forced to return and sleep beneath the rubble "at a time when no one asks about Ghandouriyeh and its people have been abandoned. We have no other option, and people can no longer afford rent."
He added that his home was destroyed in 2006, damaged again during the 2024 war, and hit once more in the latest assault.
Ali Hammoud also lives with his family in a damaged house while struggling to access basic services, including electricity and water.
At the same time, he stressed that "a person can only truly feel at ease on their own land. The air on our land is different", adding, "Even though the bombardment continues in the surrounding towns and the destruction is extensive, we have peace of mind."
Hammoud left Lebanon for Africa in 2021 amid the country's financial collapse but returns regularly to his land and family.
He did so again a month ago, returning to Ghandouriyeh to help his family and his brothers, who serve in the Lebanese army, and to check on them before leaving again.
Hammoud lamented the town's dire situation, saying, "Despite all our appeals through the media, nothing has changed.
"We have not seen any organisation or association enter Ghandouriyeh to ask about its residents or their needs or even the most necessities such as water and electricity. Even the municipality raised its voice, but no one responded," he remarked.
Hammoud added, " Israeli military operations continue in the surrounding towns , and explosions can be heard day and night. An explosion was carried out in Qantara during this interview, and we heard it. These sounds affect my children, which is why I rented a house for them outside the town."
Article translated from Arabic by Afrah Almatwari. To read the original, click here .