BEIRUT — As the first light of day filtered through the canvas walls of his tent in southern Lebanon, 48-year-old Abu Mohammad Jihad al-Omari carefully packed the last of his family's belongings. His wife folded clothes and blankets into large bags while their children loaded luggage onto an aging vehicle waiting outside.
Within hours, the family would begin a journey they had postponed for years — returning to Syria after seeking refuge in Lebanon.
"When we fled Syria, we were escaping war. I never imagined I would experience similar circumstances again," said al-Omari.
Al-Omari's family is among a growing number of Syrian refugees forced to embark on the journey home as the security situation in Lebanon increasingly deteriorates amid Israel's continued military campaign.
At Marj al-Khoukh camp near the southern city of Marjayoun, signs of departure were everywhere — worn blankets, abandoned cupboards, and household items left behind by departing families. At another camp, the Marjayoun Plain, rows of tents stood largely empty.
