Israeli air strikes hit southern Lebanon before dawn on Friday, when Khaled Abdel Zilo and his family were sitting down for suhoor, the meal eaten before the dawn of another day of fasting during Ramadan.
When the sky thundered and their flat shook with the impact, Mr Zilo’s five children sought shelter in their parents' arms, he told The National.
Much like everyone else in the southern part of Lebanon, Mr Zilo and his family had been expecting Israeli retaliation since Thursday evening, when a barrage of more than 30 rockets was fired from Lebanon towards Israel in the biggest escalation between the two countries in nearly two decades.
Israel wouldn’t dare do [what it did in 2006] again because Hezbollah is stronger now
Firas Salini,
Qleileh resident
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had promised to “hit back” after the rockets were launched into northern Israel.
The exchange of strikes came against the background of increased tension over violent raids by Israeli police at Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem.
But expecting a reprisal did not make the bombardment any less distressing for Mr Zilo and his family.
Ramadan is a tense period throughout the eastern Mediterranean because of widespread fears of violence between Israel and Hamas in Gaza and Israel and pro-Palestinian militias in southern Lebanon, where Hezbollah, the Iran-backed ally of Hamas, holds sway.
In the south of Lebanon — which has technically been at war with Israel since the latter's foundation in 1948 — locals are no strangers to the anxiety of the ever-present possibility of escalation.
Mr Zilo said his children, the oldest of whom is ten years old, were too young to have experienced the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon.
“They’re not accustomed to all this like we are,” he said.
He stood over a crater of debris on Friday afternoon as he spoke to The National – the site of one of the Israeli airstrikes, which fell in the Qleileh agricultural area on the outskirts of Tyre. The region, near the Rashidieh camp for Palestinian refugees, is where security sources said Thursday's rockets were fired into Israel from.
One day earlier, the debris had been a concrete bridge built over an aqueduct fed by the nearby Ras Al Ain spring, which provided water for a stretch of about 10 kilometres of farmland.
Now, the rubble of the collapsed bridge blocks off the farms' primary water source.
“This spring water is all we have for watering crops,” said Qleileh resident Firas Salini.
The strikes on agricultural fields initially led to mockery on social media that Israel was targeting bananas. But the sight of the collapsed bridge was also a reminder that the enemy neighbor had destroyed some of Lebanon’s most vital civilian infrastructure during the 2006 war and could do so again.
Most residents who spoke to The National appeared unperturbed by the message.
“Israel wouldn’t dare do [what it did in 2006] again because Hezbollah is stronger now,” Mr Salini said as he milled around the site accompanied by a group of men.
Like others, he said he was not worried about further escalation because of Israel’s limited response, indicating no appetite for war.
Three strikes at dawn had “just affected some people’s livelihoods. But no lives were lost,” he said.
The Israeli army said on Friday morning that it had hit targets “belonging to the Hamas terror organisation in south Lebanon”.
But nearby residents said the aqueduct site was merely agricultural infrastructure vital for keeping crops watered.
A representative of the UN Peacekeeping Force in Lebanon (Unifil) declined to comment on the site of the strike, citing a continuing investigation.
Earlier, The National observed Unifil soldiers inspecting the site.
When they were gone, farm workers and residents of the nearby villages came to view the damage. Some brought their families along.
“Our kids were so terrified. They were screaming last night,” said Mustafa, a manual labourer who declined to give his last name.
He nodded towards his three children as they ran around, exploring the crater and dipping toes into the pool of water left by the destroyed aqueduct.
“So we brought them out today for some fun. To show them that there’s nothing to be scared of.”
Mr Zilo, carrying bags full of vegetables and baby formula, nodded in agreement with Mustafa.
He had stopped at the site of the impact on his way home from the supermarket, highlighting that normality prevailed among the residents of Tyre and its suburb, where the brunt of the Israeli strikes were felt.
“It was a strong strike,” Mr Zilo said. “But it didn’t hit in the very populated areas.”
The National drove further south from the point of the attack, speaking to farmers about how the water blockage would affect their harvest.
Kilometres of oranges, bananas, lettuce, melons, cauliflower, and cabbage are all depend on high and consistent quantities of water, they said.
“If the bridge isn't fixed the season is ruined,” said a farmhand. He explained that some farms had reservoirs fed by the aqueduct — but these would soon be empty.
Still, he considered the strikes to be part of a “theatre” — echoing the sentiments of many who dismissed Israel’s response as forceful, but not quite beyond the bounds of what passes for ordinary in south Lebanon.
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
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Teaching in coronavirus times
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Emirates exiles
Will Wilson is not the first player to have attained high-class representative honours after first learning to play rugby on the playing fields of UAE.
Jonny Macdonald
Abu Dhabi-born and raised, the current Jebel Ali Dragons assistant coach was selected to play for Scotland at the Hong Kong Sevens in 2011.
Jordan Onojaife
Having started rugby by chance when the Jumeirah College team were short of players, he later won the World Under 20 Championship with England.
Devante Onojaife
Followed older brother Jordan into England age-group rugby, as well as the pro game at Northampton Saints, but recently switched allegiance to Scotland.
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Torque 240Nm @ 1,400rpm 0-100kph: 9.2 seconds
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Fuel economy, combined 35.2L / 100km (est)
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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
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- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
How to volunteer
The UAE volunteers campaign can be reached at www.volunteers.ae , or by calling 800-VOLAE (80086523), or emailing info@volunteers.ae.
Teaching your child to save
Pre-school (three - five years)
You can’t yet talk about investing or borrowing, but introduce a “classic” money bank and start putting gifts and allowances away. When the child wants a specific toy, have them save for it and help them track their progress.
Early childhood (six - eight years)
Replace the money bank with three jars labelled ‘saving’, ‘spending’ and ‘sharing’. Have the child divide their allowance into the three jars each week and explain their choices in splitting their pocket money. A guide could be 25 per cent saving, 50 per cent spending, 25 per cent for charity and gift-giving.
Middle childhood (nine - 11 years)
Open a bank savings account and help your child establish a budget and set a savings goal. Introduce the notion of ‘paying yourself first’ by putting away savings as soon as your allowance is paid.
Young teens (12 - 14 years)
Change your child’s allowance from weekly to monthly and help them pinpoint long-range goals such as a trip, so they can start longer-term saving and find new ways to increase their saving.
Teenage (15 - 18 years)
Discuss mutual expectations about university costs and identify what they can help fund and set goals. Don’t pay for everything, so they can experience the pride of contributing.
Young adulthood (19 - 22 years)
Discuss post-graduation plans and future life goals, quantify expenses such as first apartment, work wardrobe, holidays and help them continue to save towards these goals.
* JP Morgan Private Bank
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
The Uefa Awards winners
Uefa Men's Player of the Year: Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool)
Uefa Women's Player of the Year: Lucy Bronze (Lyon)
Best players of the 2018/19 Uefa Champions League
Goalkeeper: Alisson (Liverpool)
Defender: Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool)
Midfielder: Frenkie de Jong (Ajax)
Forward: Lionel Messi (Barcelona)
Uefa President's Award: Eric Cantona
Richard Jewell
Director: Clint Eastwood
Stars: Paul Walter Hauser, Sam Rockwell, Brandon Stanley
Two-and-a-half out of five stars
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The UAE's journey to space
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, second leg result:
Ajax 2-3 Tottenham
Tottenham advance on away goals rule after tie ends 3-3 on aggregate
Final: June 1, Madrid
Du Plessis plans his retirement
South Africa captain Faf du Plessis said on Friday the Twenty20 World Cup in Australia in two years' time will be his last.
Du Plessis, 34, who has led his country in two World T20 campaigns, in 2014 and 2016, is keen to play a third but will then step aside.
"The T20 World Cup in 2020 is something I'm really looking forward to. I think right now that will probably be the last tournament for me," he said in Brisbane ahead of a one-off T20 against Australia on Saturday.
Need to know
Unlike other mobile wallets and payment apps, a unique feature of eWallet is that there is no need to have a bank account, credit or debit card to do digital payments.
Customers only need a valid Emirates ID and a working UAE mobile number to register for eWallet account.
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Job Title: Human resources administrator, Expo 2020 Dubai
First jobs: Co-ordinator with Magrudy Enterprises; HR coordinator at Jumeirah Group
Entrepreneur: Started his own graphic design business
Favourite singer: Avril Lavigne
Favourite travel destination: Germany and Saudi Arabia
Family: Six sisters
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