In the ruins of his home, Ibraheem* was rifling through the debris of his former life. On the floor, furniture was twisted with metal, breezeblocks and grubby clothes.
After 12 hours of driving, a journey which took four hours two months before, he cautiously returned home to reclaim what remained of his possessions after a year of conflict and an intense two months of all-out war.
A huge bomb crater in the middle of the family home wiped out where colourful rugs once lay. In its place, a large unexploded bomb.
“Nothing is missing, it’s all missing because there is nothing left,” he told The New Arab as he waited for a bomb disposal squad to arrive.
After more than a year of unimaginable death and destruction in the Middle East, a sense of hope emerged on Wednesday as a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah went into effect.
“We gave the order to begin distributing over two million leaflets to thousands of returnees on the road, warning them to not touch bombs”
The agreement, brokered by the United States and France, aims to end months of relentless fighting, allowing residents in border towns on both sides to begin returning to their devastated homes.
But as the fragile ceasefire settles over Lebanon, remnants of relentless Israeli airstrikes and artillery fire are lying scattered among shattered homes and in olive groves, threatening to hamper newfound peace in the country.
‘We have been preparing for this day’
Speaking at the international mine-ban treaty review conference in Cambodia, a Lebanese delegation warned the amount of unexploded ordnance (UXO) is a challenge bigger than the aftermath of the 2006 war.
“We have been preparing for this day,” a delegate told The New Arab. “On Wednesday, we gave the order to begin distributing over two million leaflets to thousands of returnees on the road, warning them to not touch bombs. We have sent big army units and the national NGO’s to the streets to distribute them.”
This is just the first phase of a broader public awareness campaign designed to save lives, he said, with plans next week to put up large posters in villages plus billboards along the roads to “the conflict areas.”
While data on UXO left behind in the country is not available yet, over two days in September alone, the Israeli military claimed it carried out 3,000 attacks and dropped 2,000 munitions. By comparison, during most years of the US war in Afghanistan, fewer than 3,000 strikes were conducted annually according to Airwars data analysed by CNN.
“Our lesson was learned from 2006… Back then, the majority of victims were injured or killed in the first 10 days after the ceasefire because they didn’t understand the dangers”
Airwars, a British-based conflict-monitoring group, described the war as the “most intense aerial campaign” outside of Gaza in two decades.
It’s not just bombs the Israeli army left behind. Ibraheem shared a photo with The New Arab of a letter left behind by soldiers in his grandson’s home begging for “forgiveness.” It listed items they used including: “Zaa’tar, small nylon bags, washing up liquid, meat from fridge and panadol.”
Preventing past mistakes
In 2006, failure rates for Israeli munitions, including cluster bombs, were as high as 50–70% in some areas, according to the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS). Data from past conflicts, such as Laos after the Vietnam War, show the long-term dangers: an estimated 29,506 people have died from UXO in Laos alone since the war ended.
“Our lesson was learned from 2006,” the delegate said. “Back then, the majority of victims were injured or killed in the first 10 days after the ceasefire because they didn’t understand the dangers.”
To prevent a repeat of this tragedy, the delegation has also approved a United Nations-backed TV advertisement campaign, aiming to reach a wider audience, particularly younger generations unfamiliar with the risks.
“The risks come from bombs, aircraft munitions, missiles — every type of unexploded ordnance,” the delegate explained. “We also face the additional challenge of white phosphorus contamination, which is very hazardous and complex to deal with.”
Human Rights Watch confirmed that Israeli troops deployed white phosphorous munitions in at least 17 municipalities in south Lebanon since October 2023, including five municipalities where airburst munitions were used unlawfully over populated residential areas.
White phosphorus is a chemical substance that burns when exposed to oxygen. Its incendiary consequences result in death or severe injuries that cause lifelong agony. It has the potential to burn down homes, agricultural lands, and other civilian structures. Its usage is restricted under international humanitarian law.
Years for life to return to normal
Despite thousands making the journey home with possessions strapped to the roof of their cars, the Israeli military said Friday that Lebanese residents are prohibited from moving south to several villages, Israeli military spokesperson Avichay Adraee said on X on Friday.
On Thursday, Israel reported opening fire on what it described as “suspects” arriving in vehicles at various locations within the southern zone, claiming the incidents violated the truce with the Iran-backed Hezbollah group, which began on Wednesday.
In response, Hezbollah lawmaker Hassan Fadlallah accused Israel of breaching the agreement. “The Israeli enemy is attacking those returning to the border villages,” Fadlallah said, adding, “There are violations today by Israel, even in this form.” The Lebanese army also accused Israel of repeatedly violating the ceasefire on Wednesday and Thursday.
These mutual accusations show the tenuous nature of the ceasefire, with all UXO clearance working under the assumption the ceasefire will hold.
When asked if they had enough resources to tackle the problem, the Lebanese delegation’s answer was unequivocal and met with laughter: “No, no. We do not have enough people to deal with the problem, we have so much work to do.”
Hiba Ghandour, Mines Advisory Group (MAG) Lebanon Programme Manager, told The New Arab: “We know from our experience in Lebanon, where MAG has delivered landmine and UXO clearance for almost a quarter of a century, that the job ahead is huge and the legacy of this most recent conflict will be felt for years to come.”
MAG is one of the key players working with the Lebanese Armed Forces and Lebanese Mine Action Centre to coordinate an emergency response and plans “to scale up risk education activities.”
Maryam, a 35-year-old single mother, spoke to The New Arab about the challenges of returning to normal life already being hard enough let alone without fears of UXO. “The presence of unexploded ordnance will affect our daily lives in many ways. Some people may have to relocate if the risk in their area is high,” she said.
She anticipates that recovery will be neither quick nor easy: “The contamination will impact our lives, health, and well-being. It will take a long time, maybe years, for life to return to normal.”
International support crucial
The immense destruction caused by the Israeli military’s campaign, which displaced over one million people and killed more than 3,800 since October 2023, means many returning residents will find little left of their homes.
Clearing rubble, while time-consuming, is far less dangerous than dealing with UXO, a task requiring technical expertise, funding and time.
Significant responses in the margins of the conference in Cambodia have been discussing the importance of international support as swiftly as possible which reconstruction efforts will hinge on.
Hiba says survey and clearance are both expensive and time-consuming. “Factors such as the density and height of buildings, the type and scale of contamination, whether populations have returned or want to return and what other hazards might be present will all influence the pace of progress,” she explained.
In Gaza, it can take a month and up to 30 contractors to locate and defuse a single buried bomb, with costs reaching $40,000 per device, according to UNMAS.
Despite Lebanon’s urgent need, global funding for demining has declined as attention shifts to other conflicts, particularly Ukraine. According to the landmine monitor report, released last week, only Ukraine and Vietnam saw an increase in funding, all the others saw a decrease.
For now, authorities are waiting to complete ground surveys in collaboration with organisations like MAG before assigning tasks for clearance.
“We need evidence-based mapping to prioritise areas, and that requires funding and time,” the delegate said in Cambodia.
Until then, the focus remains on education and prevention, with a “golden message” for returnees: “Don’t touch, don’t approach, report immediately.”
*Name changed to protect identity
Rachel Hagan is a freelance news reporter specialising in foreign affairs, with experience writing for major outlets such as BBC World Service, The Independent, and others. She previously worked as a World News Reporter for the Daily Mirror
Follow her on Instagram: @rachelaurahagan
