Hundreds of thousands of Lebanese residents displaced by six weeks of war began returning to their homes in southern Lebanon on Saturday, the second day of a fragile ceasefire between Israel and the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah. Long convoys of cars stretched to the horizon along the coastal highway leading south, vehicles loaded with suitcases, mattresses, and even bed frames strapped to their roofs — a vivid portrait of families making an uncertain journey home.
For many, the return was bittersweet. Mayssa el-Amir, travelling to Tyr — the ancient Mediterranean city also known as Tyre — with her three children, described feeling "happy, but with a dagger in my heart," mourning the bloodshed and destruction left behind. Others, like Fadi and Rodayna, were returning knowing their home no longer stood. "We'll sleep in the ruins," Fadi said, describing his wife's tears as those of dignity rather than defeat. Some residents came only to collect belongings and assess the damage before leaving again, unwilling to stay overnight while the ceasefire's durability remains uncertain. Along the border strip, Israeli forces have continued demolishing entire villages.
The military situation remains tense. Israel's army announced Saturday that it had established a "Yellow Line" demarcation in southern Lebanon — a boundary similar to the one dividing Gaza between Israeli-controlled and Hamas-held zones — and said it had struck a "terrorist cell" it identified approaching its troops from the north of the line. The army also said it had destroyed an underground shaft and killed Hezbollah fighters it observed entering it. Hezbollah said it had halted military operations under the ceasefire but warned it was keeping its "finger on the trigger." Separately, France accused Hezbollah of killing a French United Nations peacekeeper near Kfar Dunin, a village in the south, which Hezbollah denied.
The 10-day ceasefire, agreed on Thursday, was intended to create space for negotiations to end the war, which Lebanese authorities say has killed nearly 2,300 people since it began on March 2 and caused widespread devastation in southern cities including Nabatiyeh and Tyre. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has said direct negotiations with Israel are "crucial" and that his government aims to secure a full Israeli withdrawal from occupied southern territory. Hezbollah, however, strongly opposes such direct talks. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signalled the truce would not halt his campaign, saying Israel had not "yet finished the job" of dismantling the group, even as US President Donald Trump said Washington had "prohibited" Israel from bombing Lebanon following the ceasefire deal.
Why this matters: the return of displaced civilians is a powerful signal of how much is at stake in the coming negotiations. Lebanon's government has long pledged to extend state authority over all armed groups in the country, but faces the twin pressures of an intransigent Hezbollah and a sceptical Israel. The establishment of a Gaza-style buffer line by Israeli forces suggests that even under a ceasefire, military facts on the ground are being actively shaped — raising questions about what southern Lebanon will look like once, or if, a permanent agreement is reached.