BEIRUT, March 8 (Xinhua) -- Despite a ceasefire, the deep scars of the conflict between Isreal and Hezbollah are starkly visible across southern Lebanon, where vast swathes of critical civilian infrastructure have been laid to waste.
Among the most significantly damaged infrastructure is the Wazzani spring water pumping station project -- the largest of its kind in the region. Its destruction has deprived dozens of towns of access to potable water, exacerbating the challenges faced by residents who have just returned after the end of the nearly 14 months of hostilities in November last year.
Wazzani Mayor Ahmed Al-Mohammad described the disillusionment among returnees, whose hope for a return to normalcy was dashed when they found the water pumping station, a lifeline for the community, utterly destroyed.
The mayor noted that the facility had been frequently targeted due to its strategically vital location near the Blue Line, the UN demarcation line between Lebanon and Israel.
Al-Mohammad complained that the repeated Israeli attacks on the pumping project had rendered all repair attempts futile.
Mohammad Ghamloush, an engineer with the South Lebanon Water Establishment, highlighted the staggering loss inflicted on the project.
"Israeli bulldozers leveled the entire site ... the project has been erased," he said. "To restore the water supply, we need to rebuild the entire facility, replace extensive sections of the pipeline network, and install new equipment."
Mohammad Al-Mustafa, a 50-year-old livestock farmer, confirmed the dire consequences of the destruction, emphasizing that the water crisis has become critical, particularly for the many farms and villages that depend on this essential project.
"We've been forced to rely on agricultural wells powered by diesel pumps, which significantly increases our financial burdens amidst an already dire economic situation. Our homes have been reduced to rubble, our livestock has perished, and our orchards have been razed," he lamented.
Adding to the returnees' distress, Al-Mustafa said security concerns remain as Israeli troops threaten to fire at anyone attempting to approach the Wazzani River, which lies a mere 500 meters from his town.
Launched in 2001, the pumping station is designed to serve 40 towns. "Before its destruction, the facility was providing a minimum of 12,000 cubic meters of water daily, peaking at 45,000 cubic meters," said Hashem Haidar, head of the South Council, responsible for assessing damage from Israeli strikes. Haidar urged a dialogue between Lebanese authorities and international stakeholders to facilitate the facility's reconstruction.
A U.S.- and French-brokered ceasefire agreement has been in effect since Nov. 27, 2024, bringing an end to more than a year of clashes between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon triggered by the Gaza war.
Although the agreement mandates a full Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory, Israeli forces remain stationed in five key positions along the Lebanese border well past the February 18 deadline, raising serious concerns about the durability and sustainability of the ceasefire. ■
