When it comes to lebanese forced to bury their dead twice as war robs them of final goodbyes, in Lebanon's southern region, the traditional rituals surrounding death have been shattered by the ongoing conflict, forcing families to mourn their loved ones without final goodbyes. As Israel intensifies its ground invasion, the practice of laying the deceased to rest in their hometowns is increasingly becoming a distant memory. Instead, families are resorting to hurried burials in makeshift graveyards further north, where simple ditches serve as resting places for the dead.
In Tyre, a city deeply scarred by violence, the sight of two-meter-wide trenches filled with the deceased has become all too common. Epitaphs are reduced to numbers, hastily spray-painted on wooden boards, marking the lives that have been lost. Rabih Koubaissi, who remains in Tyre despite Israeli military orders for evacuation and ongoing airstrikes, oversees these temporary burials. This marks his second experience of war in just three years, each one leaving families grappling with loss and trauma. Originally reported by The Guardian.
Understanding Lebanese Forced To Bury Their Dead Twice As War Robs Them Of Final Goodbyes
In Lebanese culture, the dead are typically given their final farewell surrounded by loved ones. Families would carry the casket through the streets of their hometown, allowing the deceased one last glimpse of the life they once knew. However, the current situation in south Lebanon has robbed families of this sacred ritual. The ongoing conflict has forced many to abandon traditional practices, leading to a deep sense of loss that extends beyond the grave.
Islamic funeral rites dictate that a body must be buried without disturbance once laid to rest. Traditionally, the deceased is washed, wrapped in a white shroud, and placed directly into the ground, returning to the earth peacefully. But with the chaos of war, special provisions have had to be made. As Imam Koubaissi explains, in exceptional circumstances like these, the process known as wadiaa allows bodies to be buried in caskets, treated as a temporary deposit rather than a final resting place.
Emotional Toll of Temporary Burials
The emotional burden of these temporary burials weighs heavily on families. While some semblance of closure is provided, the reality remains that many are forced to bury their loved ones twice. The fear looms large that when hostilities cease, they may not be able to return to their ancestral lands to give their loved ones a proper burial.
Statements from Israeli officials indicating an indefinite military presence south of the Litani River have intensified these fears. Families worry that it could be months or even years before they can lay their loved ones to rest in their hometowns. Past experiences offer little reassurance; during the 13-month conflict between Hezbollah and Israel that ended in November 2024, families returned to find their village graveyards destroyed, with bulldozers having uprooted graves and desecrated memorials.
Grief Amidst Destruction
As the conflict escalates, the dead lay in temporary graves with few visitors. Families who attended rushed funerals have often had to flee Tyre due to increasing attacks. Those who remain grapple with the haunting memories of their losses. Hecham Reda, a medic from the border village of Aita al-Chaab, visited one such temporary grave last week. Overcome with grief, he remembered his friend Hadi, who perished in a sudden airstrike. "Hadi was always with us, putting out fires, carrying the martyrs. In this war, he didn't have time," Reda recounted, his voice breaking.
With airstrikes reverberating in the background, Koubaissi faces the hardest part of his duty: answering families' questions about the appearance of their loved ones. "You can't lie to them, but you can't tell the truth either. So you try to comfort them," he says, reflecting on the heavy emotional toll of his role. "It's a very heavy feeling. We hadn't even recovered from the last war before entering this one."
The ongoing conflict in Lebanon has not only disrupted lives but has forever altered how families cope with grief and loss. As the war continues, the prospect of returning to ancestral lands for a proper farewell remains uncertain, leaving many to mourn in silence.
Originally reported by The Guardian. View original.