But they are now off-limits, rendered too dangerous for sheep, cows and their herders by Israeli air raids and artillery fire. Lebanese Hezbollah, a Hamas ally, has fired rockets at Israel, which has retaliated with air strikes and artillery shells. The resulting fires have burned olive trees and torched agricultural land across southern Lebanon, devastating herders and farmers already hit hard by a four-year economic meltdown. Two Lebanese shepherds were also found dead after being shot at by Israeli troops earlier this month. Lebanese herders have long learned to live with the cross-border tensions between Lebanon and Israel.

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Persons: Tony al, Mays, Ali Beber, Jihad Said, Beber, AbdelAziz Boumzar, Abdelhadi Ramahi, Ahmad Kerdi, Maya Gebeily, Gareth Jones Organizations: Hezbollah, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Rmeich, Lebanon, Beirut, Fanar, SELM, Houla, Majdal, Israel, Palestinian, Gaza, Lebanese