Displaced Lebanese Remain Cautious About Returning Home Amid Fragile Ceasefire
As a ceasefire in Lebanon entered its second day on Saturday, many displaced residents expressed hesitation about returning to their homes, citing fears that the truce may not last. The temporary halt in hostilities has allowed some to briefly visit their properties in heavily bombed areas, but most are opting to remain in shelters until stability is assured.
Residents Make Brief Visits but Fear Permanent Return
Samah Hajjoul, a mother of four displaced from south Beirut, returned to her apartment only long enough to collect summer clothes and bathe her children. "I am afraid to return to my home because the situation is not stable yet," she told AFP from her campsite on the capital's seafront. Her apartment sustained light damage with broken windows, but safety concerns outweigh the desire to return permanently.
"We do not feel safe to return, for fear that something might happen at night and I would not be able to carry my children and flee with them," Hajjoul added. She left her neighborhood when Hezbollah drew Lebanon into the Middle East conflict on March 2 with rocket attacks on Israel, prompting widespread Israeli airstrikes and a ground invasion in the country's south.
Heavily Bombed Suburbs Remain Largely Empty
According to an AFP correspondent, neighborhoods in the heavily bombed southern suburbs of Beirut were still largely empty on Saturday, with only brief visits by residents. Hassan, 29, who only gave his first name, picked up a few belongings before returning to a government shelter in a converted school.
Hassan pointed to ongoing tension surrounding Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon and Iran's announcement about closing the Strait of Hormuz, which has rattled the broader ceasefire. "There is no indication that there is a solution," he said, adding that displaced families fear losing their shelter spots if they return home prematurely.
Hezbollah Official Warns of "Temporary Truce"
Senior Hezbollah official Mahmud Qamati did little to reassure the displaced when he warned that "Israeli treachery is expected at any time, and this is a temporary truce." He advised residents to "take a breath, relax a little, but do not abandon the places you have taken refuge in until we are completely reassured about your return" to homes.
Israeli attacks on Lebanon have killed nearly 2,300 people and displaced more than a million, according to Lebanese authorities, mostly from southern Lebanon and Beirut's southern suburbs.
Traffic Patterns Reflect Cautious Movement
AFP photographers observed heavy traffic heading south from Beirut in the morning, with similarly heavy traffic returning to the capital in the afternoon. This pattern suggests many are making day trips rather than permanent returns.
According to local media and residents, Israeli forces continue to carry out demolition and bombing operations on homes in several border villages. The Israeli army said Saturday it attacked "terrorists in several areas in southern Lebanon," noting that military action against imminent threats continues despite the ceasefire.
Authorities Work to Facilitate Return
Lebanese authorities hope the consolidation of the ceasefire will allow displaced people to return home and compel Israeli troops to withdraw from the south. The Israeli military established a "Yellow Line" in southern Lebanon, similar to one separating its forces from Hamas-held territory in Gaza.
In the south, Lebanon's military and local bodies have been working to open roads blocked by Israeli strikes since the ceasefire began. In Hanawayh, east of Tyre, deputy mayor Mustapha Bazzoun pledged to "restore life by securing all services, from communications to opening roads, so that people can return to their normal lives as quickly as possible."
"People are returning, but cautiously," Bazzoun said. "We are working based on the idea that their return will be permanent. They may leave temporarily, but they will return later."
Despite these efforts, the prevailing sentiment among displaced Lebanese remains one of caution, with many waiting to see if the 10-day truce holds before making decisions about permanent return.
