By: Leila Hatoum

X: @Leila1H

Perhaps it is history repeating itself for Lebanese citizens hailing from the Beqaa area (Eastern Lebanon) and South Lebanon, where neither their government nor the international community cared enough to help them against a terrorist occupation. And when they were forced to fend for themselves, and defend their land, they are the ones labeled as terrorists.

Over the past year, the Lebanese government has practically done nothing significant to release its 20 citizens taken hostage by the israeli occupation forces.

Their families’ continued pleas reflect uncertainty, loss, and the stubborn hope that refuses to die. Perhaps one day, someone’s conscience would finally wake up and make a move, but for now, the hostages fates remain unknown. 

Those Lebanese families have spent a year navigating silence, wondering whether their loved ones are alive, where they are held, and whether anyone will ever account for them. 

A dedicated committee representing those who were once kidnapped and detained by the israeli occupation, had repeatedly urged the Lebanese government to take meaningful steps and efforts. This includes suggestions to form diplomatic and human-rights teams, to insist on access for the International Committee of the Red Cross, anything that might break through the uncertainty.

Half of the 20 Lebanese hostages are civilians, all kidnapped by the occupation forces following the cessation of hostilities agreement. They including a paramedic, a student, two fishermen, a shepherd, a sea captain, a municipal worker, and other peaceful civilians. 

They were all inside Lebanese territories months after the cessation of hostilities agreement was signed and right after it came into effect, making the israeli occupation’s move terrorist “par excellence” under international laws.

The other half are Lebanese citizens from across Lebanon, who were defending their homeland at a time when the Lebanese government refused to carry out its duties in 2024.

Those men, from all walks of life and faiths —Muslims, Christians, Druze and agnostic— armed with faith and simple weapons, including semi automatic rifles, stood against one of the most heavily-armed, and most technologically-advanced armies in the world: the israeli occupation forces.

But what they lacked in arms, they owned in will power and unyielded determination to shield their country with their bodies, something that an occupation would never possess.

This is literally the real manifestation of the movie 300, where 300 spartan fighters faced the invading Persian army for lengthy period until the rest of Greece finally woke up and rallied its troops for help.

At a time when the world fed and clothed the israeli occupation, fueled its tanks and fighter jets and funded its war, the Lebanese resistance fighters who stood their ground without wavering, had nothing but the clothes on their backs, and the simple weapons in their hands to fight with.

What hurts the most is that some Arab and Muslim nations took part in funding and supporting the israeli occupation, out of spite, out of cowardice, and out of greed. This is something that we will get back to in our upcoming article titled the Players and the Game, that will be out on Friday, November 28.

Shy of 1000 men from Hezbollah group, and around 3000 from the rest of the resistance groups across Lebanon including Amal Movement, the SSNP, and the IG were stationed along the southern Lebanese frontline to defend the land. They had no tanks, no war planes, and no satellites.

Across the front, stood some 75,000 israeli occupation soldiers and mercenaries with Merkava tanks, fighter jets, advanced gear, and military satellites, courtesy of the US tax payers’ money, and European tax payers’ deep pockets. Hell, even the armies and navies of the US, the UK, and EU supported them.

Unfortunately, despite holding their ground for months, help never came from anyone in Lebanon, the Arab world, or the international community. Much like in 300, the spartans were left to defend themselves.

Yet, the Lebanese fighters still managed to prevent those occupation forces from advancing or taking over any part of southern Lebanon for nearly 64 days between September 2024 and November 2024, despite fighting without food or water during the last days prior to the cessation of hostilities agreement materializing on November 24, 2024.

This is called fighting for your land. This is called bravery. 

Following the ceasefire agreement, the Lebanese resistance fighters stuck to their end of the deal, but the israeli occupation did not. Since when did the israeli occupation respect any deal to begin with?

It was not until after 27 November that the terrorist israeli occupation took over parts of south Lebanon that it was unable to access throughout last year’s fighting.

To date, the israeli occupation continues to aggress Lebanon and kill its people, and continue to detain 20 Lebanese hostages. But no one from the Lebanese government or the international community has lifted a finger to secure the release of our hostages.

But then again when it comes to Lebanon, unless you are an israeli occupation spy or belong to a powerful and rich family, your own government will not lift a finger to help you out. You do not believe me? Ask the Lebanese government why over the past 3 years, it released an israeli-American spy, several israeli occupation collaborators despite being caught red handed, and even welcomed an israeli national with a US passport as a “dear friend.”

Perhaps if those Lebanese hostages were not Muslims. Perhaps if they belonged to wealthy families, like former PM Saad Al Hariri, they would have been rescued.

A reminder that Hariri, whose father was also a wealthy Lebanese PM, was detained against all international norms by Saudi Arabia a decade ago when he was also serving as a PM of Lebanon. The Lebanese government and the international community mobilized the universe at the time to release him, but not the Lebanese hostages. They are neither wealthy, nor are Christian and most definitely they do not support the israeli occupation.

Meanwhile, the sad eyes of children, women and elderly of 20 particular families strike are fixed at the camera lens, while their hopeful voices asking for an official action, fall on the Lebanese government’s deaf ears.

It is understandable for world leaders, whose skeletons in the closet include sexual misconduct, addiction, corruption and compromised situations, to become puppets in the hands of the zionists, dragging their own populations into that swamp. But what are the zionists holding against the Lebanese officials to force them into this zombie mode? This is another piece that we will be discussing thoroughly during our next space on X.

Lebanon, which is still struggling to stand on its own feet on its 82nd independence day anniversary, continues to live under occupation and foreign guardianship. 

What kind of an independence day this is with 20 citizens taken hostage by the enemy, lands are under occupation, and thousands of Lebanese families are still unable to rebuild homes destroyed by the israeli occupation.

What kind of a pride-less clan of officials this country has, who continue to bow to the enemy’s will, and even justify its aggressions, while pointing the blame at those who opted to resist the occupation.

This tiny mediterranean country never knew real independence as its lands continue to be occupied by the zionist israeli forces, while facing other forms of hegemony and intervention by regional and international states through money, bullying and threats.

As per testimonials of released detainees, the Lebanese hostages have faced torture, and were deprived of their basic human rights. 

And the israeli occupation forces continue, to date, to ban the International Committee for the Red Cross (ICRC), from reaching them.

Below are the names of the 20 Lebanese hostages, whose MENA Uncensored will tell your their stories in a published series this November:

1- Ali Hassan Tarhini

2- Hassan Ahmad Hammoud

3- Hussein Amin Karaki

4- Ali Muhammad Fneish 

5- Youssef Moussa Abdullah

6-Muhammad Abdul-Karim Jawad

7- Muhammad Ali Juhair

8- Maher Fares Hamdan

9- Hassan Aqil Jawad

10- Captain Imad Fadel Amhaz

11, 12- Ali Nasser Younes, and prisoner Fouad Habib Qattaya

13- Murtada Hassan Mhana

14- Hussein Ali Sharif

15- Abdullah Khoder Fahdeh

16- Ali Qassem Assaf

17- Hadi Mustafa Assaf

18- Waddah Kamel Younes 

19- Hassan Kashkoush

20- Ibrahim Muneef al-Khalil

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