Thousands of Lebanese Families Return to Ruined Homes After Israel-Hezbollah Ceasefire
Updated
Updated · Haaretz · Jun 25
Thousands of Lebanese Families Return to Ruined Homes After Israel-Hezbollah Ceasefire
3 articles · Updated · Haaretz · Jun 25
Summary
Thousands of displaced residents in southern Lebanon began heading back to villages and towns after an official ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah took effect.
Months of fighting had driven them out and left many homes reduced to rubble, turning the return into a first look at the scale of destruction.
An international mechanism was set up to monitor implementation of the truce, providing the framework for civilians to start moving back.
The returns mark the first immediate civilian consequence of the ceasefire and test whether the Israel-Hezbollah halt in fighting will hold.
With UNIFIL withdrawing, can the new US-led monitor truly disarm Hezbollah, or is another war inevitable?
Will conditional foreign aid rebuild Lebanon's state, or will it repeat past failures and entrench existing power structures?
310,000 Displaced, Ceasefire at Risk: Lebanon’s Humanitarian and Political Crisis in 2026
Overview
As of late June 2026, many Lebanese families displaced by the 2024 war struggle to return home due to widespread destruction in southern Lebanon. Homes and critical infrastructure like hospitals and power stations are badly damaged, leaving places uninhabitable. People like Alaa Kobeissy, who found his family’s homes destroyed, now live in makeshift conditions in Beirut. Although a US-Iran agreement, with Pakistan’s mediation, has brought a fragile ceasefire to Lebanon, the lack of clear details and ongoing instability make rebuilding and safe return difficult. The situation remains uncertain, with daily life and recovery still out of reach for many.