"Arnoun is a front line village in south Lebanon. But unlike other areas that border the zone "Israel" occupies, Arnoun has a different predicament. It is practically besieged and often visited by "Israeli" patrols."

"The last Lebanese army checkpoint is a little bit over a kilometer from the southern village of Arnoun. Arnoun is not technically inside the zone "Israel" occupies in the south but it lies just beneath the Beaufort castle, one of the "Israeli" manned outposts. Cars are not allowed to enter the village forcing residents to cross by foot."

"Man from village said: Our village was a paradise, this man says. But it is not heaven anymore. It is a ghost town. He was right. We crossed into the village and the tragedy was evident. Most of the homes have been abandoned and it took a while before we came across people. There were some 30,000 people here before "Israel" carved out its occupation zone. Today the village only has some 30 residents and most of them are old."

"Woman from village said: Most of the people have fled because of the appealing conditions here, she explained. But my husband and I do not have any other choice. We had to stay. But young men cannot stay here. The "Israelis" will take them. At times, "Israeli" occupation forces set up temporary checkpoints right here at the entrance of the village. They search homes, check cars and detain residents who they suspect assist the Lebanese resistance before returning to their hilltop position.

"Israeli" forces constantly keep a close eye on the village. And its residents have to deal with constant harassment."

"Man in village said: "Israeli" patrols enter the village. They searched my home, this man said. They look through the drawers, the closets, everywhere. They also besiege the village. When night falls, no one is allowed to leave their homes. This family lost their five-year old brother". "He needed urgent medical treatment but they had to wait for morning to leave the village. And it just was too late. But life has to go on. Arnoun's residents, or to be more accurate, the remaining few, mainly rely on tobacco cultivation and olive harvests for their livelihood. The serenity of this village is deceptive. The people live in fear. And the hardships they face are all too obvious. As this woman put it: the only thing people here want is to live a normal life".