400,000 Lebanese Return Home After Ceasefire

Hundreds of thousands of displaced Lebanese have begun returning to their homes in southern Lebanon following a ceasefire and a framework agreement between Lebanon and Israel, though widespread destruction and an ongoing Israeli military presence mean many cannot go back. According to the Lebanese Minister of Social Affairs, Hanine El Sayed, approximately 400,000 people, or 40 percent of those displaced, have returned to their towns and villages as of Tuesday, June 30.

The mass movement follows a lull in fighting after a U.S.-sponsored framework agreement was signed between the two countries on Friday, June 19. The conflict, which escalated on March 2 after Hezbollah fired rockets into Israel, forced around 1 million people from their homes. The number of people in collective shelters has dropped sharply from 37,000 to about 13,000, and over 200 shelters have closed nationwide.

Despite the returns, officials caution that a significant gap exists between those able to go back and those who remain displaced. El Sayed stated that the returnees are families able to return to at least a basic minimum, while others face a much harder situation because their homes are totally damaged...