Tens of thousands in Lebanon head home as Israel-Hezbollah truce takes hold

BEIRUT, LEBANON - Tens of thousands of Lebanese displaced by the war between Israel and Hezbollah headed back to their devastated towns and villages as a ceasefire took hold on Wednesday.

Under the terms of the deal that brought the war to a halt, the Lebanese military started reinforcing its presence in the country's south, where Hezbollah has long held sway.

The war escalated after nearly a year of cross-border fire initiated by the militant group in support of its Palestinian ally Hamas, whose attack on Israel in October last year sparked the war in Gaza.

It killed thousands of people in Lebanon and triggered mass displacement on both sides of the border.

Israel shifted its focus from Gaza to Lebanon in September to secure its northern border from Hezbollah attacks and dealt the movement a series of heavy blows.

The Iran-backed group has emerged from the war significantly weakened and still mourning the killing in an Israeli air raid of its longtime leader Hassan Nasrallah.

Hezbollah lawmaker Hassan Fadlallah told AFP on Wednesday that his group was cooperating on the Lebanese army's deployment in south Lebanon.

There is "full cooperation" with the Lebanese state in strengthening the army's deployment, he said, adding that the group has "no visible weapons or bases" there and that "nobody can make residents leave their villages".

The road from the Lebanese capital to the south has been congested since the early hours, with thousands of people heading home.

AFP journalists saw cars and minibuses packed with people carrying mattresses, suitcases and blankets, with some honking their horns and singing in celebration, with Hezbollah supporters declaring the truce a victory.

"What we feel is indescribable," said one Lebanese driver on the road to the south. "The people have won!"

Others, however, voiced quiet desolation.

Returning to his home in the southern town of Nabatiyeh, Ali Mazraani said he was shocked by the extent of the devastation from the raids.

"Is this really Nabatiyeh?" he said. "All our memories of Nabatiyeh have disappeared, and we can't recognise our own town."

FINAL HOURS

In Lebanon, more than 900,000 people fled their homes in recent weeks, according to the UN, as Israel pounded the country, focusing in particular on areas where Hezbollah holds sway.

Lebanese parliament speaker Nabih Berri called on the displaced to go back to their homes despite the devastation.

"I invite you to return to your homes... return to your land," said Berri, who led mediation efforts on behalf of his allies in Hezbollah.

Prime Minister Najib Mikati urged Israel to respect the terms of the truce and said Lebanon was turning the page on "one of the most painful phases that the Lebanese have lived in their modern history".

Lebanon says at least 3,823 people were killed in the country since exchanges of fire across the border began in October 2023, most of them in recent weeks.

On the Israeli side, the hostilities with Hezbollah have killed at least 82 soldiers and 47 civilians, authorities there say.

The final hours before the truce took hold at 4:00 am (0200 GMT) on Wednesday were among the most violent particularly for Beirut, with Israeli strikes hitting areas including the busy commercial district of Hamra.

Hezbollah, too, continued to claim attacks on Israel all the way up to the start of the truce.

The Israeli and Lebanese militaries have both called on residents of frontline Lebanese villages to avoid returning home immediately.

Hezbollah-backer Iran welcomed the end of what it called Israel's aggression in Lebanon, while Hamas said it was ready for a truce in Gaza.

The truce in Lebanon, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, would permit Israel to redirect its efforts back to Gaza, where it has been at war with Hamas since October of last year.

"When Hezbollah is out of the picture, Hamas is left alone in the fight. Our pressure on it will intensify," Netanyahu said, adding that Israel would also focus on "the Iranian threat".

Iran is the main backer of both Hezbollah and Hamas and has fired two barrages of missiles and drones at Israel since the outbreak of the war in Gaza, in response to attacks attributed to Israel.

60 DAYS 

US President Joe Biden announced the ceasefire agreement on Tuesday.

Under the deal, Israeli forces will hold their positions but "a 60-day period will commence in which the Lebanese military and security forces will begin their deployment towards the south", a US official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told reporters.

Then Israel will begin a phased withdrawal without a vacuum forming that Hezbollah or others could rush into, the official said.

The United States is Israel's key ally and military backer, and Biden hailed the deal as "good news" and a "new start" for Lebanon.

He said that the United States, with the support of France and other allies, would help to ensure the deal is implemented.

Netanyahu thanked Biden for his involvement in brokering the deal, under whose terms Israel will maintain freedom to act against Hezbollah should it pose any new threat.

On Wednesday, an AFP journalist saw Lebanese troops and vehicles deploying in two areas of south Lebanon.

"The army has begun reinforcing its presence in the South Litani sector and extending the state's authority in coordination with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL)," the military said in a statement, referring to areas south of the Litani River in southern Lebanon.

'IT FEELS SAFER' 

While the mood in Lebanon was of joy tempered by devastating loss, in Israel there was no indication of a return en masse of the 60,000 people forced to flee their homes by Hezbollah's fire.

"On one hand, we are happy about the ceasefire because it feels safer, our children can go back to school," said 43-year-old Yuri, a resident of kibbutz Yiron near the Lebanese border, who fled to the northern city of Haifa to escape Hezbollah's attacks.

"On the other hand... Hezbollah still has forces, and we don't see when this will truly come to an end."