BEIRUT — Displaced Lebanese civilians have begun returning to their homes in southern Lebanon and parts of Beirut’s southern suburbs following a ceasefire that has largely held for more than a week, according to United Nations officials, Lebanese authorities and residents returning to areas affected by months of fighting.
The returns followed a U.S.-brokered understanding aimed at ending hostilities linked to the conflict between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah movement. While the ceasefire has reduced violence across much of the country, officials have cautioned that conditions remain fragile and that some security incidents continue to be reported in southern Lebanon.
U.N. spokesman Stéphane Dujarric said last week that some displaced families had begun “cautiously” returning home as the security situation improved. According to figures provided by Lebanese authorities and cited by the United Nations, the number of people staying in collective shelters declined by about 10,000 over several days, although officials said it was not yet clear whether the movements represented permanent returns or temporary visits to assess property damage.
Residents traveling south have encountered widespread destruction in towns and villages that were at the center of the conflict. Reuters reported last week that many returning families found homes, businesses and infrastructure heavily damaged or destroyed after months of Israeli airstrikes and military operations. Lebanese authorities have said more than one million people were displaced during the escalation, though the figures have not been independently verified.
“We are packing up things, and we're going to our town,” one displaced resident told Reuters as families prepared to leave temporary accommodations and return to southern Lebanon. Other residents expressed relief at being able to inspect their homes but also uncertainty about whether the ceasefire would endure.
Lebanese officials have urged caution, warning residents about damaged infrastructure, unexploded ordnance and areas where military activity has not completely ceased. The United Nations has also noted that isolated incidents in southern Lebanon continue to affect freedom of movement and access to some communities.
Israeli officials have maintained that security concerns remain along the border and have indicated that military positions in parts of southern Lebanon will not be withdrawn immediately. Hezbollah, meanwhile, has continued to oppose arrangements that it says do not address Lebanese territorial concerns.
As of Tuesday, traffic into southern Lebanon continued as families returned to inspect homes and farmland. Humanitarian agencies said they were monitoring the situation and assessing needs in affected communities while emphasizing that the durability of the ceasefire remains uncertain.
