BEIRUT/QASMIYEH/JERUSALEM: People uprooted by the war in Lebanon began returning to devastated towns and neighborhoods on Friday, with many finding their homes destroyed or uninhabitable and hesitant to stay for fear a ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel could unravel.
US President Donald Trump announced the 10-day ceasefire agreement between the governments of Lebanon and Israel on Thursday, adding to optimism that the parallel war between the United States and Iran could be nearing an end.
While Trump says Lebanon and Israel will work toward a longer-term deal, the ceasefire leaves big questions. Notably, it does not demand Israel withdraw troops occupying parts of the south, where Israel’s defense minister said Israeli troops would continue to demolish homes he claimed were being used by Hezbollah.
Iran-backed Hezbollah, which operates independently of the Lebanese state, says it maintains “the right to resist.”
In the Hezbollah-controlled southern suburbs of Beirut, hills of rubble stood where there had once been apartment blocks and the smell of death hung in the air. Ali Hamza said he found his home intact, but that people were scared to return for now.
