Lebanese cling to memories of Liberation Day as Israel reoccupies the south

Lebanese cling to memories of Liberation Day as Israel reoccupies the south Submitted by Rita Kabalan on Mon, 05/25/2026 - 16:18 Israel's war on Lebanon has displaced more than a million people and razed half the towns in the south, but residents nurture hope of the day 26 years ago when occupation forces were forced out Mourners attend the funeral of Lebanese civil defence members Hussein Jaber and Ahmad Noura, who were killed in an Israeli strike on the southern town of Nabatieh, Lebanon, 13 May 2026 (Aziz Taher/Reuters) Off Abeer was 19 when she heard the news on 25 May 2000 that southern Lebanon had been liberated after 18 years of Israeli occupation. Within hours, her family had left Beirut and was heading south to their hometown Kfar Kila, a centuries-old village right on the border with Israel. “It was a joy like I had never experienced before,” said Abeer, now an events coordinator for musicians.