Thousands of Lebanese displaced by the war between Israel and Hezbollah returned to their devastated towns and villages as a ceasefire took effect on Wednesday.
Under the terms of the agreement, which halted the war, the Lebanese Army began strengthening its presence in the south of the country, where Hezbollah has long had influence.
The war escalated after almost a year of cross-border shelling by the militant group in support of its Palestinian ally Hamas, whose attacks on Israel in October last year sparked the war in Gaza.
This led to the deaths of thousands of people in Lebanon and mass displacement on both sides of the border.
Israel shifted its focus from Gaza to Lebanon in September to secure its northern border from attacks by Hezbollah, which has faced several serious attacks on the movement.
The Iran-backed group has emerged significantly weakened from the war, which also included the killing of its longtime leader Hassan Nasrallah in an Israeli airstrike.
But that didn’t stop him from declaring “victory” over Israel in a statement released on Wednesday.
“The victory from Almighty God was an ally of the noble cause,” Hezbollah’s statement said.
Hezbollah lawmaker Hassan Fadlallah told AFP that his group was cooperating with the Lebanese army’s deployment in south Lebanon.
He said there is “full cooperation” with the Lebanese state in strengthening the army’s deployment, adding that the group has “no visible weapons or bases” but “no one can force residents to leave their villages. Is”.
The road south from the Lebanese capital was clogged before dawn with thousands of people heading home.
AFP journalists saw cars and minibuses packed with people carrying mattresses, suitcases and blankets, some of whom were honking horns and singing in celebration.
“What we feel is indescribable,” said a Lebanese driver on the road south. “The people won!”
Others, however, expressed quiet disappointment.
Returning to his home in the southern city of Nabatieh, Ali Majrani said he was shocked by the devastation caused by the raid.
“Is it really Nabatieh?” he asked. “All our memories of Nabatieh have disappeared, and we do not recognize our city.”
last hours
In Lebanon, more than 900,000 people fled their homes in recent weeks, according to the United Nations, as Israel attacked the country, particularly focusing on Hezbollah strongholds.
Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri called on displaced people to return to their homes despite the destruction.
“I invite you to return to your homes… to return to your lands,” said Berri, who led the talks on behalf of his ally Hezbollah.
Prime Minister Najib Mikati urged Israel to respect the terms of the ceasefire and said Lebanon was turning the page on “one of the most painful phases the Lebanese people have gone through in their modern history”.
Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari said: “We control the situation in the south of Lebanon, our aircraft continue to fly in Lebanese airspace.”
He said Israel “arrested suspects and killed terrorists” on Wednesday.
Lebanon says at least 3,823 people have been killed in the country since cross-border firing began in October 2023, most of them in recent weeks.
On the Israeli side, at least 82 soldiers and 47 civilians have been killed in hostilities with Hezbollah, officials there say.
The final hours before the ceasefire took effect at 4:00 am (0200 GMT) on Wednesday were the most violent, especially for Beirut, with Israeli attacks hitting areas including the busy commercial district of Hamra.
Hezbollah also continued to claim attacks on Israel until the beginning of the ceasefire.
Israeli and Lebanese armies have called on residents of border Lebanese villages to immediately return home.
Pro-Hezbollah Iran welcomed the end of Israeli aggression in Lebanon, while Hamas said it was ready for a ceasefire in Gaza.
US President Joe Biden will launch a renewed campaign to secure an elusive ceasefire and hostage release deal for the Palestinian territories, his national security adviser said.
Jake Sullivan said Biden spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu just before announcing the cease-fire with Hezbollah on Tuesday and they agreed to try again.
Netanyahu said the ceasefire in Lebanon would allow Israel to redirect its efforts to Gaza, where it has been at war with Hamas since October last year.
“When Hezbollah is out of the picture, Hamas will be left alone in the fight. Our pressure on it will increase,” Netanyahu said.
The Gaza health ministry said nine people were killed in an air strike north of the Hamas-run territory on Wednesday, as Israel continued bombing Lebanon on the day of a ceasefire.
The ministry said the attack targeted a shelter for displaced people at the al-Tabeein school in Gaza City.
60 days
Under the ceasefire agreement, Israeli forces will maintain their positions but “a 60-day period will begin in which the Lebanese army and security forces will begin their deployment to the south”, a US official told reporters on condition of anonymity. ,
Israel would then begin a phased withdrawal without leaving a void, which could include Hezbollah or others, the official said.
On Wednesday, an AFP journalist saw the deployment of Lebanese troops and vehicles to two areas in southern Lebanon.
“The army plans to strengthen its presence in the South Litani area and maintain state authority in coordination with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL),” the army said in a statement, referring to areas south of the Litani River within 30 km. “Having begun to expand.” kilometers (20 mi) of Israeli border.
‘It feels safer’
While there was jubilation in Lebanon over the devastating damage, there was no sign of the mass return of the 60,000 people driven from their homes by Hezbollah fire in Israel.
“On the one hand, we are happy with the ceasefire because it feels safe, our children can go back to school,” said Yuri, a 43-year-old resident of Kibbutz Yiron near the Lebanese border who fled to the northern city. Haifa.
“On the other hand… Hezbollah still has forces, and we don’t see when it will really end.”
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
