On May 31, a Zionist drone strike ended the life of Mahmoud Hassan Atwi, a humble municipal worker from Deir al-Zahrani, as he was repairing a water well in the Ali al-Taher forest, on the outskirts of Nabatieh Al-Fawqa. The well had recently been targeted by the occupation.

Mahmoud was there, as always, serving his community. He was trying, once again, to restore water to the neighboring households.

He died on the job, in the same region where his house was damaged in the recent Israeli war. His only daughter had just finished university, and was preparing for her doctoral studies. Her wedding was planned for June 20, only weeks away.

Everyone knew Mahmoud. Everyone loved his kindness and willingness to help those around him. For three years, the Ali al-Taher well was his daily responsibility. War or calm, he never abandoned it, irrespective of the risks. “He was incredibly loved, a brave man,” one resident told Al-Akhbar. “When he took charge of the well, water began reaching homes in the al-Aqida and al-Deir neighborhoods for the first time in years. He had a strong sense of justice and fairness.”

Another village resident added: “he did everything to support his family, whether by maintaining gardens or repairing broken pipes, he never waited for us to ask”.

Another colleague remembers him as “tireless, devoted, and sincere; it was like ten men’s work flowed through him, and the municipality often relied on him for his handy work, which was not particularly well paid.”

His death is not just a loss, it is not an isolated incident. It is part of a broader and sustained pattern of Israeli attacks on southern Lebanon, carried out under the false cover of a so-called ceasefire, within the context of decades of occupation and violations.

Since Mahmoud’s killing, the upper neighborhoods of Deir al-Zahrani have gone dry. Residents of al-Deir, al-Aqida, and Hayy al-Barid are currently purchasing water, unable to rely on the now-silent well he kept running for years.

Despite the official narrative in Lebanon, the Israeli killing machine has not stopped attacking villages in South Lebanon and the Beqaa, targeting pillars of the community and anyone trying to restore and rebuild life in towns ravaged by war.
Chapters in Resistance is a series of portraits of those being killed every day, and a reminder of our collective responsibility to commemorate martyrs, and to tell their stories in the words of those who knew them.

Chapters in Resistance – Mahmoud Atwi, a municipal worker, killed on duty and a fisherman obducted while on Lebanese waters.

Al Akhbar report

Another Lebanese Fisherman Abducted by Israeli ForcesOn June 4, Lebanese fisherman Ali Fneich set out for a routine morning off the coast of Ras Naqoura in South Lebanon. He never returned. Four Israeli military boats crossed Lebanon’s declared maritime border and abducted him. A father of five, whose only “crime” was earning his living at sea.

Israeli violations of Lebanon have grown brazen. The very next day, Israeli warplanes bombed the southern suburbs of Beirut, in the largest attack on the Lebanese capital since the so-called ceasefire agreement.

Ali’s abduction is not the first known kidnapping case recorded in the area. In February, his friend and fisherman Muhammad Juheir disappeared under similar circumstances in the sea near Ras Naqoura. No official inquiry. No follow-up. No trace.

This breach of Lebanon’s sovereignty drew no response from the Lebanese authorities or international actors. Drones were spotted overhead during the abduction, and no steps have been taken to confirm Ali’s whereabouts.

Al-Akhbar met with Ali’s brother, Hussein Fneich.

“Ali has been fishing for more than 15 years and he owns a small shop where he sells fishing rods, diving gear, and other equipment,” Hussein said, adding that no Lebanese official has yet contacted the family. “No one has reached out to us, not even to ask what happened. He just vanished, and no one wants to mention his name. Can they really take anyone, anytime, with no consequences?”

The other fisherman, who survived the attack, also spoke to Al-Akhbar, requesting anonymity.

“We were fishing as usual since early morning,” the fisherman recalls. “Then around 10:30 AM, four Israeli boats appeared, sailing deep inside our national waters. They headed quickly towards us while opening fire. They took Ali, threw me in the water, took my clothes, and everything else we had on the boat. They did the same to the other fishermen near us.”

It seems that such incidents are becoming normalized, and the lack of institutional response has left families of victims completely alone. Ali Fneich is another name added to a growing list of Lebanese civilians, who have either been killed or abducted, in the context of an undeclared war.

“We want Ali home.” Hussein said. “And we want the world, including international media, to say this happened, and that it is not okay.”

Al Akhbar report