BEIRUT, May 25 (Xinhua) -- Hassan Abdullah, a resident of southern Lebanon, chose Monday to make his way to a hill not far from his hometown, where he stood taking in the view of the place still under Israeli bombardment.
It was the day Lebanon marked the 26th anniversary of "Resistance and Liberation Day," commemorating Israel's withdrawal from southern Lebanon in 2000 after decades of occupation.
Standing on the hill, Hassan Abdullah watched smoke rising in the distance as Israeli airstrikes echoed across the valley.
Pointing toward his hometown of Khiam near the frontier, the 50-year-old displaced resident said he no longer knew whether his house was still standing or had already become a pile of rubble like thousands of others destroyed in recent months.
"I feel the land still longs for its people despite all the destruction," Abdullah told Xinhua. "Our attachment to home is stronger than the devastation."
For many residents in the country's south, this year's anniversary, a day once associated with return, reconstruction, and revival of normal life after years of occupation, carries little sense of celebration.
Renewed fighting along the Lebanese-Israeli border has so far displaced thousands of families and emptied villages, reviving memories of war and displacement many believed had long been left behind.
On Monday, at least 15 people were killed and several others wounded in a series of Israeli airstrikes across southern Lebanon, according to Lebanese officials and local media reports.
Sitting in the yard of a public school in Hasbaya that shelters displaced families, Mohammad Sheet recalled how Israel's withdrawal in 2000 had once given southerners hope for lasting stability.
"After liberation, people rebuilt their homes and lives. We thought the era of displacement was over," said Sheet, who fled the border village of Kafr Kila. "Today, we are reliving the same experience."
Across southern Lebanon, villages near the frontier appeared largely deserted ahead of the anniversary.
In the town of Marj al-Zouhour, classrooms converted into temporary shelters housed families uprooted by months of cross-border fighting.
Among them was Hanan Daher, known as Umm Ali, who fled the village of Adaisseh with her family after airstrikes intensified near their home.
"We left at night in a hurry with only some clothes and official documents," she said. "Until now, we do not know what happened to our house."
She said her children now panic at sudden loud noises, fearing another strike may be imminent.
Beyond the destruction of homes, many displaced families have also lost their livelihoods.
Jalal Abu Mansour, displaced from the village of Houla to Rashaya al-Wadi in eastern Lebanon, said the fighting had wiped out years of hard work.
"We lost our farmland, livestock, and sources of income," he said. "People are now facing very difficult living conditions."
Mental health specialists warned of mounting psychological pressure on both children and adults.
Psychotherapist Suzanne Abu Ammar said cases of anxiety, sleep disorders, and persistent fear have increased sharply in recent months, particularly among children exposed to the sounds of aircraft and explosions.
"Some children repeatedly draw scenes of bombardment and fires, while many adults struggle with a loss of security and stability," she said.
In the southern town of Jibchit, 30-year-old Imad Fahs recently returned to inspect what remained of his damaged home.
Standing among shattered glass and debris, he searched through the rubble for belongings that survived. "We built this house after liberation and after years of work, but it was destroyed within minutes," he said. "Liberation Day used to be associated with celebrations and flags. Today it is linked to airstrikes and destruction." ■
