Bekaa Valley, Lebanon – A warm wind blows over the rocky, arid landscape of the Lebanon-Syria border, ruffling the silhouettes walking slowly through the mountain pass, clambering around two huge craters.
What used to be a densely packed road stretching all the way from Beirut in Lebanon, through the Bekaa Valley and on to Damascus in Syria via the Masnaa Crossing, has been reduced to rubble by Israeli bombardment. All travel has become near impossible.
Families now pass only on foot, carrying their luggage over their heads, carefully avoiding losing their balance while navigating the debris.
Until a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah was reached on Wednesday, Israel had been carpet-bombing Lebanon since late September. On October 4, its forces bombed Masnaa, the largest border crossing into Syria, as it ramped up its assault on Lebanon nearly a year after it started a war on Gaza.
What’s left of Masnaa is barely enough to allow people through, not to mention the once-familiar trucks full of fresh fruits and vegetables that used to wind through the pass, going both ways.
“Since the strike, no produce has been coming in or going out, neither avocados nor bananas, even though the season is in full swing,” Abu Hussein, a young laborer who usually works at the site loading and unloading trucks, tells Al Jazeera.
Since no commercial trucks pass through now, he spends his days sitting in the shade on the side of the road or helping people carry their belongings through the debris. “This is a difficult economic blow for us,” he adds.
Since the strike, no produce has been coming in or going out, neither avocados nor bananas, even though the season is in full swing,” Abu Hussein, a young laborer who usually works at the site loading and unloading trucks summarizes to
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How has the recent ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah impacted the outlook of people in the Bekaa Valley?
## Interview Transcript: Devastation in the Bekaa Valley
**Host:** Joining us tonight is [Guest Name], a correspondent who has just returned from the Bekaa Valley in Lebanon. Thank you for being with us.
**Guest:** Thanks for having me.
**Host:** You’ve witnessed firsthand the devastation caused by the recent Israeli bombardment. Can you describe the scene for our viewers?
**Guest:** It’s truly heartbreaking. The once bustling road connecting Beirut to Damascus through the Masnaa Crossing is now a wasteland of rubble and craters. [[1](https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/27/world/middleeast/bekaa-valley-lebanon-hezbollah.html)]Families are forced to navigate this treacherous landscape on foot, carrying their meager belongings. The destruction is widespread, affecting not only infrastructure but also people’s lives and livelihoods.
**Host:** You mentioned families walking through the debris. How are they coping with this situation?
**Guest:** The resilience of the people is astounding. Despite the hardship and fear, there’s a strong sense of community, with people helping each other. However, the trauma is palpable. The constant threat of airstrikes, the loss of homes and loved ones, has left deep scars on this community.
**Host:** A ceasefire was recently negotiated between Israel and Hezbollah. How hopeful are people about the prospects for lasting peace?
**Guest:** While the ceasefire is a welcome respite from the violence, there’s a cautious optimism at best. Many fear it’s a temporary solution and worry about the possibility of renewed fighting. The underlying tensions between Israel and Hezbollah remain unresolved, and the fragile situation could easily escalate again.
**Host:** Thank you for sharing your insights with us, [Guest Name].
**Guest:** Thank you for having me.
