Chebaa, Lebanon - March 28, 2025 SHOTLIST TOWN OF SHEBAA, LEBANON (MARCH 27, 2025) (ANADOLU-ACCESS ALL) SHOTLIST 1. WIDE SHOT OF HOUSES (2 SHOTS) 2. QUIET STREET WITH PARKED VEHICLES 3. MEN SITTING OUTSIDE SHOP 4. BAKERY OWNER GHULAM ISSA SITTING AND LOOKING AT HIS SMARTPHONE 5. (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) BAKERY OWNER GHULAM ISSA SAYING: There are no preparations for Eid, not before Eid, nor in Ramadan, nor in these past months. There's nothing.” 6. WHITE FLASH 7. (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) BAKERY OWNER GHULAM ISSA SAYING: The security situation, the security situation, and the little, they don't have money and so on, and the condition of the country, it's still the same. 8. WHITE FLASH 9. (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) BAKERY OWNER GHULAM ISSA SAYING: “Most people say maybe we'll open. They say when we open, a customer comes at the very end of the world, at the very end of people's time. We're open. Hopefully Allah helps us. A few customers want to make lahmajoun or something. Before iftar, we prepare and make it before iftar.” 10. VARIOUS OF HIAM DAKOUR CLEANING AREA OUTSID HER HOME 11. (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) HOUSEWIFE, HIAM DAKOUR SAYING: Preparations for Eid? No one is preparing. No one is celebrating Eid in the current situation. Everyone's sad. Everyone is living their own life. They returned home and are fixing their homes. A situation of tragedy. There is no Eid situation. There's no Eid situation." 12. WHITE FLASH 13. (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) HOUSEWIFE, HIAM DAKKOUR SAYING: “And from the martyrs who passed away... in our country too, we lost martyrs too. So there is no Eid for us to celebrate. There is no Eid. For us, there's not, but maybe for our neighbors, they might have Eid. But for us, no. We're not celebrating. We lost our homes and our relatives as well, here in Sidon. I wish they'd stayed in their homes and hadn't died. The home can be replaced, but the soul that's gone can never be replaced.” 14. WIDE SHOT OF WOMAN AND CHILD WALKING THROUGH RUBBLE 15. DESTROYED OUSE 16. DAMAGED MOSQUE 17. WOMEN WASKING LETTUCE IN LARGE BOWLS OUTSIDE HOME (2 SHOTS) 18. CLOSE-UP OF CHICKEN BEING PLACED IN PLASTIC BAG 19. WOMAN TAKING CHICKEN LEGS FROM BASKET, PLACING THEM IN METAL BOWL IN SHOP 20. VEHICLES PARKED OUTSIDE BUILDING WITH LEBANESE FLAG HANGING ON BALCONY 21. (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) RESTAURANT OWNER MAJDI AWAD SAYING: “We went through a very difficult crisis during the war, and the situation was very tough, but through many charitable activities, we were able to bring smiles to people's faces during this blessed month, and the holiday, Allah willing. We hope to bring joy to the faces of children and all the people in Shebaa. We hope that this holiday will be a time of joy, smiles, and happiness, and a turning point for change towards the better, as we forget the painful past we went through during the war. We hope the holiday will bring goodness and blessings to everyone, Allah willing." 22. VARIOUS OF OPEN AIR MARKET WITH CUSTOMERS AND VENDORS 23. UN VEHICLES DRIVING 24. VARIOUS OF OPEN AIR MARKET WITH CUSTOMERS AND VENDORS TOWN OF SHEBAA, LEBANON - MARCH 27: As Muslims worldwide prepare for Eid al-Fitr celebrations marking the end of Ramadan, residents of southern Lebanon face a markedly different reality. The festive occasion, set to begin Sunday, March 30, will be observed amid the rubble of destroyed homes, the grief of lost loved ones, and the constant threat of renewed violence in this long-suffering border region. The border towns of Shebaa and Hasbaya, typically vibrant during religious holidays, now stand as stark examples of war's devastation. With over 4,000 killed and 1.4 million displaced in the 2023-2024 conflict, the usual signs of Eid preparations - market stalls overflowing with sweets, children shopping for new clothes, families visiting bakeries - are conspicuously absent this year. Instead, the landscape is dominated by damaged buildings, makeshift shelters, and a palpable sense of loss among residents struggling to rebuild their lives. The November 2024 ceasefire agreement, meant to bring stability to the region, has been violated more than 1,200 times according to Lebanese officials, keeping communities in a state of perpetual anxiety. For many families, the priority remains securing basic necessities rather than celebrating what should be one of Islam's most joyous occasions. Ghulam Issa, 57, a bakery owner in Shebaa, described a community stripped of festivity. " There are no preparations for Eid, not before Eid, nor in Ramadan, nor in these past months," he told Anadolu. He also said people have no money and the security situation is dire. Hiam Dakkour, 65, a housewife in Shebaa, echoed the despair. “No one is preparing. No one is celebrating Eid in the current situation. Everyone's sad.” Dakkour described the current situation as a "tragedy,", stating that many of the town’s sons were martyred in the war. She said the residents are just trying to repair their homes, adding that there is no Eid for them as they lost their loved ones in Israeli attacks. Despite the devastation, some efforts to restore normalcy persist. Majdi Awad, 50, who runs Al-Tayyib Restaurant, recounted how charity initiatives during Ramadan brought fleeting relief. “Through many charitable activities, we were able to bring smiles to people's faces during this blessed month, and the holiday," he said. "We hope to bring joy to the faces of children and all the people in Shebaa. We hope that this holiday will be a time of joy, smiles, and happiness, and a turning point for change towards the better, as we forget the painful past we went through during the war,” added Awad. Writing y Sibel Uygun