Locals return home in Lebanon as ceasefire begins

Motorists drive past a destroyed building in Beirut’s southern suburbs after the ceasefire took effect. Pic/AFP

A ceasefire between Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah appeared to be holding on Wednesday, as residents in cars heaped with belongings streamed back toward southern Lebanon despite warnings from the Israeli and Lebanese military that they stay away from certain areas.

If it holds, the ceasefire would end nearly 14 months of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, which escalated in mid-September. It could give some reprieve to the 1.2 million Lebanese displaced by the fighting and thousands of Israelis who fled their homes along the border with Lebanon.

The US- and France-brokered deal, approved by Israel late Tuesday, calls for an initial two-month halt to fighting and requires Hezbollah to end its armed presence in southern Lebanon, while Israeli troops are to return to their side of the border. Israel says it reserves the right to strike Hezbollah should it violate the deal.

Aftermath of the fighting

Over 3,800 people in Lebanon killed, many of them civilians. Over 80 Israeli soldiers killed, and 47 civilians.

The damage: Damage in Lebanon is estimated at $8.5 billion including at least 1 lakh homes destroyed. In Israel, 5,683 acres of land gutted.

The displaced: Around 1.2 million people displaced in Lebanon; over 46,500 in Israel.

The strikes: Around 14,000 Israeli strikes in Lebanon, while Hezbollah has made more than 2,000 strikes in Israel.

‘Deal brokered by Biden is actually Trump's victory'

The Biden administration kept Donald Trump's incoming administration closely apprised of its efforts to broker the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hezbollah. Trump's team, meanwhile, was quick to claim credit for the rare spot of good news for a Democratic administration that's been dragged down by the grinding Mideast conflict. "Everyone is at the table because of President Trump," Florida Rep. Mike Waltz, Trump's choice for his national security adviser, said on X. "His resounding victory sent a clear message to the rest of the world that chaos won't be tolerated."

This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever