Tens of thousands of displaced people began returning home in the early hours of Friday, against Israeli warnings, after a 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon came into effect at midnight.
Israel had warned residents not to go back to areas south of the Litani River, saying its forces “remain positioned in southern Lebanon to monitor Hezbollah activity”.
The Lebanese army and Hezbollah had also urged residents of southern Lebanon, Beirut’s southern suburbs, known locally as Dahyeh, and the Bekaa Valley to delay their return for their own safety.
However, many people uprooted by Israel’s six-week bombing campaign and ground invasion began planning their journey home as soon as US President Donald Trump announced the ceasefire on Thursday afternoon.
Read more: Tens of thousands return to south Lebanon after ceasefire, defying Israeli warnings
