Elated families rapidly return to south Lebanon after ceasefire

As dawn broke over Beirut’s southern suburbs on Wednesday, a sudden energy of joy gripped the streets. News of a ceasefire between Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah had been brewing for days and was finally confirmed late on Tuesday, bringing a moment of relief, and uncertainty, in a region mired in two wars for over a year.

Locals of southern Lebanon rushed to homes they were forced to abandon for months as a result of the violence which killed over 3,500 people, wiped out complete neighbourhoods and displaced entire communities along the Israeli-Lebanese border. 

The Lebanese army had called on displaced people to hold off returning until Israeli boots had withdrawn, but that call was unheeded. Jubilance filled the streets as families filled their wrecked homes and neighbourhoods, many grieving the loss of loved ones, but were taken over by a renewed sense of hope after weeks of uncertainty and devastation.

The ceasefire, which took effect on Wednesday, came after a breakthrough diplomatic agreement brokered by the US and France between Israel and Hezbollah. Under the deal, Israel began its phased withdrawal from southern Lebanon, while Lebanon’s military assumed responsibility for securing areas near the border to prevent Hezbollah from re-establishing its infrastructure.

The journey back was one of celebration, as people from across Lebanon, including Mount Lebanon, Sidon, Tripoli, and Beirut’s central neighbourhoods of Hamra and Ashrafieh, made their way to the southern suburbs.

‘Back…with our heads held high’

Layal, one of the 1.2 million displaced by the hostilities, had fled the area with her family during the height of the conflict. Today, she expresses overwhelming joy for returning to her house in Bchamoun, a part of Beirut’s suburbs that was the target of heavy Israeli bombing in recent months.  

“There is nothing better than being back,” she said. “Yes, our house is destroyed, but we are here together, with the resistance. We will not leave, no matter what.”

Her sister, Sarah, echoed her sentiment. “We were separated during the displacement but thank God we are back. This suburb, our home, is the most beautiful place in the world. We swore we would never stay away, and now we are back, victorious, with our heads held high.”

Celebratory gunshots rang out in neighbourhoods that were once deafened by the blasting sounds of bombings and explosions. 

What would typically be a short 10-minute trip turned into a 45-minute journey as crowds of people on motorcycles and on foot flooded the roads, streaming to southern parts of Lebanon, which had become ghost towns in past months as most of its residents were forced to flee. Patriotic revolutionary songs and pro-Hezbollah chants echoed through the air—a public display of gratitude and defiance, with many attributing the ceasefire to Hezbollah’s resistance and ability to push back against Israeli aggression.

In the neighbourhoods that had once been drowned in the sound of Israeli shelling, the hum of life had returned. Streets that had been barricaded and abandoned were now bustling with people eager to reclaim their lives, despite the visible scars of war and destruction. Families, some returning with little more than the clothes on their backs, were determined to rebuild and reclaim what had been lost.

‘Nothing will stop us from rebuilding’

Fatima Zalzali, a long-time resident of the southern suburbs, reflected on the destruction of her home. Fatima, who lived on the sixth floor of a ten-story building, recalled the day the building was hit. Though her flat is now in ruins, her hope for the future remains strong.

“Despite the destruction of my home and my children’s homes, our hearts are full of hope,” said Fatima, whose family hails from Deir Qanoun en Nahr, a town in southern Lebanon. “The resistance, thank God, protects us. Nothing will stop us from rebuilding.”

For the people of Beirut’s southern suburbs, which are predominantly home to Shia Muslim families, the ceasefire was more than a diplomatic success—it was a victory of survival, resilience, and defiance. The return of residents to these war-torn areas is a testament to their determination to rebuild, no matter the challenges they face.

Fatima shared that as soon as news of the ceasefire spread, families in her area began preparing to return, driven by a shared sense of resolve. “There was no fear. We knew we would come back. Lebanon will remain steadfast. From the rubble, we will rebuild stronger than ever,” she said.

For many, the ceasefire agreement marks a rare diplomatic victory, especially for the US in the final months of President Joe Biden’s administration. It offers hope for a future beyond conflict, one where peace and stability can take root.

As life begins to return to normal, everyday people like Ali Younes, a shop owner, are already planning the rebuilding of their homes and businesses. Younes, who had fled to the Hamra district with his wife and daughter on his motorcycle, is heading back to his suburb to assess the damage to his home and shop.

“We’ve been through great suffering, but now we will heal our wounds,” Younes said. “My shop will reopen, the schools will reopen, and my daughter will return to her school. Life is coming back to normal.”

His daughter, Laila, who had been displaced, expressed her joy at returning to the neighbourhood she had known since childhood. 

“I’m happy to be back in my school, in my neighbourhood. It feels good to be home,” she said.

This piece is published in collaboration with Egab.