Postwar Photographs of Lebanon by Amelia Opalinska

Photos of the destruction left in the wake of the 2006 Israeli attack.

Photos of Lebanon by Amelia Opalinska

(ISTANBUL) - A few months ago I posted a series of photographs of Lebanon taken in 2006 by my traveling companion Amelia Opalinska, in the aftermath of the July War perpetrated by Israel.

I am now posting a second round in honor of the fourth anniversary of the conflict, which is referred to by the Israelis as the Second Lebanon War–the first being the 1982 invasion of Lebanon that killed approximately 17,500 people, mainly civilians.

Other destructive Israeli incursions into the country, such as those in 1978, 1993, and 1996, have been exempted from the war count.

As for the second Qana massacre, which refers to the July 30, 2006 obliteration by Israeli air raids of 28 civilians in the same south Lebanese town where 106 refugees sheltered in a U.N. compound were obliterated during the 1996 conflict, potential candidates for the official Israeli title for the incident might include “the Second Qana Mistake” or “the Second Israeli Weeping Session for Qana”.

The latter suggestion is inspired by Harvard law professor Alan Dershowitz’ legal analysis of Israeli reactions to being forced by Hezbollah to kill Lebanese children.

Ten of Opalinska’s photographs appear below. More to follow next week.

Belén is a feature writer at Pulse Media. Her articles also have appeared in CounterPunch, Narco News, Palestine Chronicle, Palestine Think Tank, Rebelión, Tlaxcala, The Electronic Intifada, Upside Down World, and Venezuelanalysis.com. Her book “Coffee with Hezbollah,” a humorous political travelogue chronicling her hitchhiking trip through Lebanon in the aftermath of the 2006 Israeli assault, is available at Amazon, Amazon UK, and Barnes and Noble.

Born in Washington, DC, in 1982, Belén earned her bachelor's degree with a concentration in political science from Columbia University in New York City. Her diverse background of worldwide experiences, created a fantastic writer; one whose work we are extremely happy to share with Salem-News.com viewers. You can contact Belén at: belengarciabernal@gmail.com