Inside a Lebanese village under Israeli occupation

In a harrowing report from southern Lebanon, the Financial Times' Raya Jalabi documents life in Ain Ebel, a Christian village now trapped in a de facto Israeli occupation. Despite Israel’s claim that the area is a temporary 'security zone,' residents like 75-year-old poet and teacher Milad Habub describe a suffocating reality of constant bombardment, restricted movement, and the psychological toll of being unable to flee. Habub’s decision to stay—despite the risk of death—was driven by a profound fear that if everyone leaves, there will be nothing left to return to. The village, once a vibrant community, now survives on humanitarian aid convoys, with no commerce, trade, or access to basic foodstuffs for weeks. The Israeli military’s campaign, framed as targeting Hezbollah strongholds, has devastated Shia Muslim villages and now threatens Christian communities, breaking earlier promises not to touch them. International legal experts and the Lebanese government label this control an occupation, not a security zone, under international law. The situation underscores how military strategy and humanitarian crisis converge in the ongoing conflict. The episode also covers global economic turmoil, including Elon Musk’s failed $134 billion lawsuit against OpenAI, which was dismissed over statute of limitations. The decision is a major win for OpenAI as it prepares for a public offering.