The truce between Israel and Hezbollah is holding, Lebanese civilians are gradually returning home

The agreement ended the conflict between Israel and the militant group that has been supported by Iran for years and resulted in a large number of victims, but Israel is still fighting against its other enemy, the Palestinian militant group Hamas in the Gaza Strip. The Lebanese army has announced that it is preparing to deploy in the south of the country, a region that Israel has bombed heavily in the fight against Hezbollah. Eastern cities were also exposed to bombardment, as well as smaller towns and the stronghold of the armed group in the southern suburbs of Beirut.

Columns of cars and vans crammed with mattresses, suitcases, and furniture passed through the heavily bombed southern port city of Tyre.

The Israeli army announced on Wednesday that its military forces are still stationed on Lebanese territory and called on the residents of southern Lebanese villages, which have been called for evacuation in recent months, to delay returning home until further notice from the Israeli army.

Israel announced that it had identified Hezbollah operatives returning to areas near the border and had opened fire to prevent them from getting any closer. So far, there are no immediate signs that the incident could undermine the ceasefire.

In Lebanon, some cars were displaying national flags, others were honking, and one woman was showing a victory sign with her fingers as people began to return to the houses they had fled from.

Many of the villages that people return to are probably destroyed. The father of four children, Husam Arut, told reporters that he can’t wait to return to his home. “The Israelis have not retreated completely, they are still close to the edges, so we decided to wait until the army officially announces that we can enter. In that case, we will immediately start the cars and head towards the village,” he said.