Returns to southern Lebanon turn into short visits amid destruction and uncertainty

Report by Wissam Nasrallah, English adaptation by Mariella Succar

The traffic congestion seen late Saturday into Sunday was not driven by displaced residents returning to their villages, but rather by movement from southern Lebanon toward Beirut.

Just one day earlier, cars had been heading south as residents rushed back to their towns and villages, attempting to reclaim a life paused by conflict. 

They opened the doors of damaged homes, cleared debris from entrances, and checked what remained of belongings and property.

However, the south they returned to was not one fit for resettlement, but for brief and difficult visits.

Many homes were damaged or destroyed, and entire neighborhoods appeared heavily affected. Basic services were largely unavailable, with limited electricity, unstable water supply, and a lack of essential infrastructure. Residents also faced ongoing uncertainty about security, with no guarantees against renewed strikes or sudden developments.

A second, more decisive factor was fear.

The ceasefire, initially seen as an opportunity for return, has instead been viewed as temporary, lasting only 10 days, with uncertainty surrounding its durability.

In this context, Israeli threats to impose a buffer zone by force and continue targeting militants have coincided with Hezbollah’s position that any ceasefire must be mutual, alongside its stated readiness to respond to violations.

Amid these conditions, political and security warnings have urged residents to exercise caution, signaling that full stability has not yet been achieved. Hezbollah official Mahmoud Qomati said residents should not trust the situation and should avoid settling permanently for now.

The message was quickly understood: without guaranteed security, returning could carry significant risk.

As a result, the situation shifted within hours. Traffic flowed south driven by hope, and then back north driven by fear of renewed conflict and potential ceasefire violations.

On the way south, residents carried the hope that the war had ended. On the way back, they carried the realization that a ceasefire alone is not enough to enable a full return.

Return, in this context, is not simply reaching one’s village, but finding viable living conditions and security—conditions that remain largely absent.

Amid these partial returns, a broader reality is taking shape on the ground, drawing comparisons to the security zone Israel maintained in southern Lebanon before its withdrawal in 2000. However, the current situation is more severe, as many villages have been heavily damaged or destroyed, leaving returning residents without homes or the means to remain.

Between the re-emergence of a security zone and ongoing instability, civilians continue to bear the burden, with no sustained return to their villages yet possible.