Ali Safiuddin, the head of the Civil Defence in Tyre, southern Lebanon's largest city, has confronted both life and loss throughout his career as a first responder. Despite an official ceasefire in southern Lebanon, frequent bombings and shelling continue along the “Yellow Line,” an area Israel claims as a security zone.
Safiuddin noted on a late June morning that “things are relatively normal,” with the only recent strikes occurring in al-Mansouri and Majadal, two municipalities in the Tyre District along the Yellow Line. During the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah, Safiuddin sheltered his wife and one-year-old daughter, Lynn, beneath the Civil Defence centre, believing it to be safe. He recounted rescuing a girl after 18 hours of manual work under three floors.
The region remains volatile, with Lebanese soldiers injured during Israeli troop intrusions into southern towns. The future of peacekeeping in southern Lebanon is uncertain ahead of the UNIFIL phase-out. Lebanon recently passed a long-sought amnesty law, following the repeal of the death penalty.
According to the United Nations, Israel has repeatedly targeted Lebanon’s first responders and healthcare workers, killing at least 135 of them since the beginning of March. The Lebanese Prime Minister has described Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon as a “violation of international law.”
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