Manuel Ortiz, a journalist, photographer and sociologist, has managed to leave Lebanon, but many others have not. The war has left endless devastation, including the deaths of thousands of women, men, children and journalists. Despite a ceasefire, Israel continues to attack Lebanon.
This is how Ortiz recounted it, who in an interview with Marcos Gutiérrez on the radio program ?Hecho en California?, he explained that his last days in the war zone were very intense while the ceasefire was being discussed, with the United States and France as mediators.
"While the talks on the deal were taking place, Israel stepped up its attacks like never before, with around 30 attacks in Beirut alone on the last day," he said.
Heading to camp Chatila, who are Palestinian refugees who in 1982 experienced a massacre of more than three thousand citizens, went on a tour, and while it was taking place, the attacks intensified.
"It seemed that Israel wanted to cause as much damage as possible, to kill as many people as possible before being unable to bomb for a few days. What was happening was truly brutal," he said.
"The bombs could be heard very loudly from this neighbourhood. There are many children, women and elderly people, as it is one of the most marginalised neighbourhoods. The Palestinian refugee communities who do not have immigration status, as such they are people, are here without a homeland," he added.
Manuel Ortiz said that the children were in the narrow corridors, because the buildings are attached to each other, and there is a large patio where they do activities.
"On the first day, the 27th, the agreement came into effect at 4:00 in the morning, so many of the displaced people who were in camps started heading south, even though the government had warned them not to go yet. On the 27th there was a celebration, a bittersweet celebration," he said.
How did this matter begin?
Ortiz explained that there is an ongoing genocide being committed by the State of Israel in Gaza, "they are massacring a people, there is ethnic cleansing in the Middle East as it is being carried out by Israel with the sponsorship and support of the great powers, mainly the United States."
"The ceasefire began on November 27 and it was an OK, they have stopped attacking Lebanon. I know that they have attacked children, civilians, where people lived in entire villages; and what happened on the same day was an attack on Gaza with much greater force. This genocide that was already underway has accelerated."
In this regard, he highlighted that Benjamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister of Israel, said that peace depends on Lebanon and Hezbollah, that he is ready to attack at any time, which Ortiz finds a speech that makes no sense, "because he forgets that he is the one who commits genocide and of course it seems that all he wants is wars."
"Every time a bomb fell, I thought, 'How many people are dying right now?' It's painful. Imagine that we are in the time when Jews were being murdered in concentration camps and in the future we would ask ourselves what I was doing at that time. Was I indifferent? Did I applaud? I think that in the future we will ask ourselves what we did," he said.
For journalist Manuel Ortiz, things are resolved through peace and not war and weapons.
"I am a person who thinks that things can be resolved through peace, through negotiation, and I still think that is the way, but here it is very difficult, because you see the military uploading images with photographs of people they make fun of, chasing children and shooting them."
"We should have a much more effective global intervention, we should have greater indignation wherever we are. I know that yes, suddenly there are protests and they die down, I can't believe it, on such a small, tiny planet, another genocide is happening right now and it seems like there is no way to stop it."
"Every time we pay something, every time we pay our taxes, some of this goes to buy weapons and get them to the other side of the world," he concluded.
You may be interested in: Sikka, a beautiful example of Lebanon's resilience
