Lebanese Greet Ceasefire with Caution, Fearing Renewed Conflict

Following the announcement of a US-Iran ceasefire, residents of southern Lebanon have begun returning to their villages, but with a palpable sense of caution. The fragile peace is met not with jubilation, but with apprehension, as past truces have been short-lived.

“

It was packed with explosives. I guess they still want to blow things up.

Upon attempting to enter villages like Harees, returnees encountered obstacles, including Israeli armored vehicles and discovered explosive devices left behind. Abdullah al-Ali, a municipal official in Harees, noted that two explosive-laden vehicles were found, prompting warnings from the Lebanese army and civil defense for people to delay their return. These warnings were underscored by Israeli shelling targeting individuals attempting to reach homes south of Nabatieh.

Ghia Hajo, a 25-year-old displaced resident, expressed mixed feelings of joy and fear. "How many times has this happened before? I have mixed feelings, there’s joy, I’m excited. But there’s a fear in the back of my head that won’t go away," she said. Hajo, like many others, desires certainty before returning, wanting to unpack her bags permanently rather than live in constant readiness for evacuation. "We want to go and not have to leave our bags unpacked. Because we always had our clothes in our bag, ready to evacuate at any moment. We want to be 100% sure," she stated.

“

How many times has this happened before? I have mixed feelings, there’s joy, I’m excited. But there’s a fear in the back of my head that won’t go away.

Lebanese officials welcomed the ceasefire, which was communicated through news reports. While Hezbollah's attacks ceased immediately and Israeli strikes largely stopped, exceptions included shelling and drone strikes on those nearing villages close to Israeli troops. Israel's defense minister indicated that Israeli troops would not withdraw from the "security zone" along the border and reserved the right to retaliate against any Hezbollah attacks. The exact application of the broader US-Iran truce to the situation in Lebanon remained unclear.

“

We want to go and not have to leave our bags unpacked. Because we always had our clothes in our bag, ready to evacuate at any moment. We want to be 100% sure.