In the midst of chaos: Alma al-Shaab, the people trapped between Israel and Hezbollah

In the midst of the paradisiacal surroundings of the Mediterranean, the town of Alma al-Shaab has become the stage for a conflict that goes beyond its picturesque streets and majestic views. This small enclave in southern Lebanon, just one kilometer from the Israeli border, finds itself trapped in the midst of cross-border fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, the powerful Shiite Muslim organization. While the landscape of bougainvillea and stone houses may seem unchanged, anguish and fear have taken hold of the approximately 100 inhabitants who still remain in Alma al-Shaab. Since last October, this community has been the target of constant attacks by Israeli forces and Hezbollah, in an escalation of violence that has left the population in a state of constant alert and desolation. Authorities report that at least 800 residents have fled the village in search of safety, leaving behind a town that used to be home to 900 people permanently and up to 1,500 in the summer seasons. Now, the constant attacks have completely destroyed 10 houses, damaged another 120, and consumed much of the agricultural and forest lands surrounding the locality. The history of Alma al-Shaab is intertwined with past episodes of conflict and pain in the region, from the war between Israel and Hezbollah in 2006 to the countless skirmishes that have marked the lives of its inhabitants. The Israeli invasion of 1982 and the occupation of southern Lebanon until 2000 are memories that weigh heavily on the community, which has had to face violence recurrently over the years. Uncertainty and fear are constant in the lives of the residents of Alma al-Shaab, who have seen their homes and lands become targets of a conflict they do not consider their own. The proximity to the Israeli border has turned this peaceful town into a battlefield, where daily life is interrupted by the thunder of bombings and the constant threat of new attacks. Maria Shaya, a 31-year-old resident of Alma al-Shaab, describes a childhood marked by fear and violence, with the sound of explosions and fighter jets as the soundtrack of her youth. Despite her love for her homeland, she was forced to leave at 18 in search of a safer place, away from the horrors of war that seem to never cease in the region. The situation in Alma al-Shaab reflects the suffering of many communities trapped in seemingly endless conflicts, where daily life is interrupted by violence and destruction. The struggle between Israel and Hezbollah has left a trail of desolation in this quiet Mediterranean town, where the hope for a peaceful future fades with each new attack. As violence continues to take its toll in the region, the residents of Alma al-Shaab face an uncertain future, where the possibility of returning to their homes and rebuilding their lives seems increasingly distant. The story of this town in the midst of the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah is a reminder of the devastating consequences of war for civilian communities caught in conflicts they did not choose. The international community watches with concern the escalation of violence in the region and the human impact of a conflict that seems to have no end. Meanwhile, the inhabitants of Alma al-Shaab cling to the hope of one day being able to return to their homes and rebuild what war has destroyed, in a scenario that seems to have lost all normality and tranquility.