Staring at the enormous mound of rubble that used to be her home, Mariam Hosni clutched her daughter’s hand, which gripped a picture of Hizbollah’s venerated former leader Hassan Nasrallah, assassinated by Israel as it escalated its offensive two months ago.
The Hosnis’ building in Beirut’s southern suburbs was levelled in the fierce Israeli bombardment that took place shortly before a ceasefire took hold on Wednesday, dashing her hopes of a swift return home. Never mind, she said: “All of this destruction, this is just the price of victory.”
Nasrallah “asked us to be patient and wait for the enemy’s defeat, and of course he was right”, Hosni added, looking around her battered neighbourhood, where some waved Hizbollah flags and sang celebratory songs. “Hizbollah will take care of all of this and will rebuild for us.”