Photos released by ActionAid highlight struggles of Lebanese youth in aftermath of Israeli attacks

New Delhi, Jan 21 (PTI) A woman standing amid rubble outside a bombed building in her neighborhood in Lebanese city of Baalbek, another woman flipping through a family photo album in her uncle's apartment, also damaged by Israeli airstrikes and many other such pictures of wreckage are part of a series of photos shared by international NGO ActionAid.

The photographs, clicked by Lebanese photographer Dalia Khamissy, capture the ongoing grief and uncertainty faced by young people and their families, nearly two months after the conditional ceasefire in Lebanon was implemented.

“Many families returned home to wreckage, while others are still unable to return due to ongoing restrictions by Israeli forces. Their stories serve as a sobering reminder of the misery and grief that persists long after the fighting stops. Ceasefire is only the beginning – millions of people in Gaza and Lebanon will be feeling the effects of this conflict for generations to come.

“While we hope the Gaza ceasefire agreement will be a crucial step forward, there is still a very long way to go to achieve the justice and accountability that people in Gaza and Lebanon deserve for the countless atrocities that have been committed," said Sabine Abiaad, ActionAid’s Campaigns coordinator in Beirut, in a statement.

Tens of thousands of residents were forced to flee from the historic city of Baalbek in October when Israeli forces issued a city-wide evacuation warning.

A report published by ActionAid and Oxfam last month found that the forced displacement orders imposed by Israeli forces during its 62-day war were neither legitimate nor safe, leaving families without shelter or protection and raising serious concerns about potential crimes against humanity.

It also highlighted the widespread psychological distress and anxiety caused by Israeli forces’ attacks.

Between 23 September and 31 October last year, Israeli forces launched over 3,300 airstrikes across Lebanon, displacing more than 1.3 million people, according to analysis by ActionAid and Oxfam.

More than seven lakh of those who were displaced within Lebanon have returned home since the ceasefire was agreed in November, according to the UN. Yet many returned to find their homes in ruins, forcing families to live with relatives or in tents, ActionAid said.

The ceasefire deal struck on November 27 to halt the war required Hezbollah to immediately lay down its arms in southern Lebanon and gave Israel 60 days to withdraw its forces there and hand over control to the Lebanese army and U.N. peacekeepers.

ActionAid, in its statement, has called for a "permanent, unconditional ceasefire" in Gaza and Lebanon and added that the international community should ensure that "the Israeli government is held accountable for all violations of international humanitarian law". PTI MG BK BK