Families return to shattered homes in Lebanon amid Israeli withdrawal deal

Mahasen Faqih and her husband have returned to their village in southern Lebanon, Zawtar al-Gharbieh, to sift through the debris of their home. Their village is one of three designated "pilot zones" where Israel agreed to withdraw its forces in exchange for Hezbollah's disarmament, a deal brokered by the U.S. The couple fled north in early March when the latest Israel-Hezbollah war began.

Their home is among the nearly half of the village's 500 homes that have been destroyed or severely damaged, rendering them unlivable. Despite the devastation, Faqih, 58, stated their resolve to stay. "Zawtar is our small homeland, and we are very happy," she said. "We will sleep here to tell the Israelis that we will stay in our land and will not leave it, no matter what happens."

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Zawtar is our small homeland, and we are very happy. We will sleep here to tell the Israelis that we will stay in our land and will not leave it, no matter what happens.

Mayor Abed Ezzeldine reported that only about 15 families have returned since the Lebanese army took control a week ago. He described Zawtar al-Gharbieh as "disaster-stricken," with many standing homes unsuitable for living. Faqih managed to recover only nine plates from her kitchen, with the ceiling partially collapsed and a hole in the main bedroom's ceiling from an Israeli strike. She noted she had already sold $20,000 in jewelry to repair damage from the 2024 war, a cost she can no longer afford.

Hezbollah has expressed strong opposition to the deal, which aims for Israeli forces to withdraw from occupied areas of southern Lebanon. The initial pilot zones have also generated controversy within Lebanon, with questions arising about the extent of Israeli troop presence in those specific areas. While Israeli troops were not in most of the pilot zones, they were in adjacent areas, and heavy shelling had prevented residents and the Lebanese army from entering until recently. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz stated that Israeli forces control 700 square kilometers of southern Lebanon and are preventing raids.

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You can see some homes standing, but they are not suitable for living and cannot be renovated.