The Americans losing homes to Israel’s war in Lebanon
Lebanese-American Families Face Devastation as Israeli Strikes Continue Despite Ceasefire
Healfromzero.com – For Maysa Moghnie, the family compound in Burj Rahal represented generations of dedication. Her father dedicated his life to constructing the magnificent stone residence in southern Lebanon, adding room after room over decades. The three-story structure featured traditional stone walls, ornate balconies supported by stone columns, and distinctive slanted red-brick roofs. A magnificent split staircase descended onto a wide terrace, serving as the architectural centerpiece.
Moghnie, who holds dual American-Lebanese citizenship, now raises her children in Irvine, California. Video recordings from her twin sister’s engagement celebration two years ago capture the home’s former grandeur. The footage shows family members and guests dancing joyfully within the spacious compound. Everything changed on May 9, when an Israeli airstrike reduced the beloved home to rubble.
All the memories we have are of him building this house,
Moghnie recalled, reflecting on the decades of construction that created her childhood sanctuary.
The timing proved fortunate for Moghnie’s family. Her parents and sister had departed the house merely three days before the strike. Her mother, unable to endure the constant noise from drones and aircraft, had insisted on leaving. They discovered the destruction through neighboring residents who witnessed the attack.
My mom couldn’t take the drones and the airplanes and all those really harsh sounds anymore,
she explained regarding her mother’s decision to relocate temporarily.
A Growing Crisis for American Citizens
Moghnie belongs to a growing number of American citizens whose Lebanese family properties have suffered destruction during Israel’s military campaign against Hezbollah. The Israel Defense Forces maintains that operations target enemy positions. Since hostilities reignited in March following US-Israeli strikes on Iran, the United Nations Development Programme documented nearly 18,000 homes destroyed by June.
Although a formal ceasefire took effect in April, Israeli military forces continued advancing into Lebanese territory. Most American residents have departed southern Lebanon, though some remain to manage businesses, protect property, or maintain connections to their ancestral homeland.
Moghnie’s mother-in-law continues residing in the region. Her home survived despite damaged walls and broken windows from nearby bombardments. Anwar Ghaida, another American business proprietor in Hasbaya, experienced similar devastation. His property sustained two separate strikes—one in 2024 and another earlier this year.
The Journalists’ Tragedy
Ghaida’s first encounter with aerial bombardment received international attention. The strike killed three journalists sleeping in one of his rental bungalows, which operates alongside a wedding venue. Ghaida believes the attack targeted deliberately. The victims worked for Al Manar, a Hezbollah-affiliated news channel, and Al Mayadeen, a pro-Iranian network. Eighteen journalists from multiple organizations had been staying at the property while covering the September through November 2024 conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.
The second attack, occurring on March 25, appears to have been accidental. Ghaida noted that the wedding venue’s kitchen area sustained damage during the late evening assault.
They hit the wedding venue, mainly the kitchen area but it was empty at the time,
he described regarding the second strike.
The financial consequences proved severe for Ghaida’s enterprise. He previously accommodated weddings for five hundred guests. Now, all kitchen equipment and furniture vanished in the attack.
My business is ruined financially. I could do weddings for 500 people, now all my kitchen equipment and furniture is gone.
By the second attack, his business had already contracted significantly. With ongoing conflict, few couples chose to marry. Journalists also reduced their visits, hesitant to book accommodations at a recently bombed location.
nobody was getting married,
Ghaida observed, explaining the decline in wedding bookings.
Rooted in Conflict
Ghaida, now sixty years old, has two children living in the United States. Despite the opportunity to relocate, he refuses to abandon his community.
I have my brother here with his children, my mom, my sister… I’m not going to leave them,
he told CNN during a telephone conversation from Hasbaya. He also doubts his ability to rebuild his business at his age.
Nighttime brings continued tension. Israeli drones circle overhead despite the ceasefire agreement. Ghaida described particularly difficult nights filled with shelling and explosions echoing across different towns.
Lebanese-Americans frequently express that southern Lebanon faces its worst conditions in recent memory. Some residents survived the 2006 war. Others remember Israel’s occupation of the region from 1982 to 2000. Previous generations’ homes endured those conflicts. This time, Israeli tactics have proven more destructive, leaving families to navigate unprecedented devastation while maintaining their connection to ancestral land.
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