Houssein Hamze stayed to take care of animals during the 2026 Israel-Hezbollah war, despite the constant risk of death from Israeli drone and airstrikes. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing The Guardian.
During Israel's 2006 war against Hezbollah, Houssein Hamze woke up one night to the sound of barking. He got up to check on his first rescue pet. Moments later, a bomb dropped next to his home and a piece of shrapnel landed where he had been sleeping. "I swear to God, he really saved me from death. Animals always possess a sixth sense we don't have," Hamze said.
Twenty years later, the 57-year-old is still repaying his debt. He founded the Mashala shelter in Zefta, south Lebanon, to care for animals. In normal times he takes in strays, and in wartime he is the only lifeline for animals in the area.
The shelter hosts about 200 dogs, two camels, horses, chickens, and geese. Hamze relies on donations. He was one of about 20 people who stayed in his village during the war that started on 2 March 2026 and forced a quarter of Lebanon's population to flee.
"Many people fled and left their animals behind—some tied up. We would go out, untie them and leave them water," Hamze said. About 50 dogs came to the shelter by themselves during the war. Hamze made daily rounds in his truck, distributing dry food to abandoned animals. He narrowly escaped airstrikes several times and once stumbled on a corpse of a man killed by a drone.
"By the end, all the dogs knew me. I would beep and they would come running," he said. Hamze stuck a Mashala sign on his car roof so the drone could identify him, but it was no guarantee. "I wasn't afraid for myself. I was only afraid for the animals. I kept thinking: if I die, who will look after them?" he said.
In case of his death, Hamze sent eight donkeys to a shelter in Beirut, fearing they would not survive on their own. After a ceasefire in June, life returned to normal. Hamze now repairs irrigation tubing chewed by dogs and treats animals for ticks.
His wartime work made him a minor celebrity in Lebanon. Videos of him feeding dogs under drones went viral, prompting donations. But as the war fades from headlines, donations are drying up. Hamze says displaced people returning home are calling him for help with animal rescues.