Three years after Hezbollah launched its southern support front following the outbreak of the Gaza war, southern Lebanon remains scarred by profound devastation, ongoing displacement, and unresolved security vulnerabilities that continue to plague local communities.
When Hamas initiated the “Al-Aqsa Flood” operation on October 7, 2023, the subsequent regional fallout drew Hezbollah into an active support campaign on the following day.
The Human Toll and Stalled Return to Southern Villages
Despite the implementation of a fragile ceasefire in June 2026, everyday life across southern Lebanon remains heavily disrupted. As reported by Elnashra, organizations such as Doctors Without Borders (Médecins Sans Frontières) have highlighted that ongoing airstrikes, coupled with severe damage to public infrastructure, water networks, and healthcare facilities, severely hamper the return of displaced families.
“ان استمرار التهجير ليس خيارا، فما من مُلتجأ للسكان. إذ لا يستطيعون العودة إلى بيوتهم في ظل غياب الخدمات الأساسية وتواصل الهجمات الإسرائيلية على قراهم وبلداتهم,” noted Jean-Marc Biquet, the organization’s project coordinator in Lebanon, as cited by Elnashra.
Families attempting to return face immense logistical obstacles. Medical infrastructure has suffered extensive damage, leaving many primary healthcare centers struggling with staffing shortages and structural repairs. While humanitarian teams have worked to rehabilitate facilities in areas like Haret Harek and repair emergency vehicles, daily security risks and a lack of reliable utilities mean that many individuals continue to cycle between temporary housing, relatives’ homes, and collective shelters.
Agricultural Devastation and the Olive Harvest Under Fire
The economic fallout of the ongoing crisis extends heavily into the agricultural sector, which serves as a vital financial lifeline for southern households. Lebanon 24 reports that the olive harvest—traditionally a cornerstone of rural income—has been disrupted for several consecutive seasons. Official figures indicate that approximately 77.9 percent of southern farmers remain displaced, preventing them from tending to or harvesting their groves.
With southern Lebanon and the Nabatieh region traditionally contributing around 36 percent of the nation’s olive oil production, the widespread inability to access orchards or repair damaged agricultural infrastructure exerts severe pressure on local markets. In previous seasons, the cost of an oil tin surged past $200 in parts of the south and reached $250 in regions such as Jezzine, driven largely by the extraordinary logistical costs and security risks associated with reaching the fields. Beyond immediate market prices, agricultural experts warn that the loss or abandonment of decades-old trees represents a blow to the region’s agrarian heritage that cannot be easily replaced.
Persistent Security Anxieties and State Authority South of the Litani
Compounding the humanitarian and economic challenges are lingering anxieties regarding future stability. As detailed by Janoubia, residents across southern villages voice growing concerns over the durability of the current security arrangements, citing continuous operational breaches and the presence of informal armed infrastructure south of the Litani River.
Under international frameworks such as UN Security Council Resolution 1701, security forces are meant to anchor stability through the exclusive deployment of official state arms in the southern sectors. However, local reporting points to ongoing challenges in fully establishing state authority across all pockets of the region, leaving communities suspended between the reality of past destruction and the constant dread of renewed hostilities.
