In Lebanon, Ashura is celebrated amidst the ruins left by the war.

Thousands of Shia Muslim faithful celebrated Ashura, the holiest day in the Shia calendar, on Friday in Lebanon, a country deeply scarred by recent fighting. In Nabatieh, in the south of the country, traditional processions took place amidst buildings destroyed by months of war.

Under a summer sun, men marched through the city streets chanting religious hymns, perpetuating an annual tradition despite the destruction. This year, participants walked through a landscape of ruins, made up of collapsed concrete and deformed metal structures, the result of military operations carried out in recent months.

According to the Israeli government, the air and ground campaign targeted Hezbollah. The fighting devastated large areas of southern Lebanon, while some regions remain under Israeli military control. Although a ceasefire came into effect on June 20, Israel continued to conduct airstrikes in several towns near Nabatieh.

During the procession, many participants carried portraits of Hezbollah fighters killed in Israeli strikes. Others wore photographs of relatives who disappeared during the conflict, giving the ceremony both a religious and memorial dimension.

In Beirut, thousands of people also gathered in neighborhoods considered Hezbollah strongholds to commemorate Ashura. This holiday holds particular significance for Shia Muslims, who honor the memory of Imam Hussein, killed at the Battle of Karbala in the 7th century.

These celebrations take place in a country still deeply scarred by war. The massive destruction in southern Lebanon and the loss of life continue to mark the daily lives of its inhabitants, while reconstruction is only just beginning and the security situation remains fragile.