BEIRUT — Displaced families in Lebanon began returning to their homes on Monday, following an announcement by U.S. President Donald Trump of a deal intended to end the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran. This marks the second significant return of civilians since hostilities resumed in early March between Hezbollah and Israeli forces.
Despite Israeli assurances to maintain a military buffer zone in southern Lebanon and continue targeting Hezbollah, the announcement has prompted cautious optimism among Lebanese civilians weary of repeated cycles of violence and displacement. Reports indicated limited drone strikes and artillery fire near the Israeli border on Monday, but no major attacks were recorded in principal urban areas, suggesting the ceasefire held with some restraint.
Mayor Hassan Dbouk of Tyre, Lebanon’s second-largest city in the south, noted that many returning residents mainly came back to assess the condition of their homes after the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) had ordered evacuations last week. The ongoing presence of the IDF in the buffer zone remains a point of tension, as Israeli officials have reaffirmed their intention to stay there indefinitely. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz emphasized this stance on Monday, despite broad Israeli disapproval of the peace agreement.
Fighting reignited in early March following a series of rocket and drone attacks launched by Hezbollah, a militia backed by Iran, in response to the killing of Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Israel retaliated with extensive airstrikes and ground operations, leading to large-scale displacement of civilians. After a U.S.-brokered ceasefire in mid-April and direct meetings between Lebanese and Israeli officials — a diplomatic first in decades — some residents returned home, only to flee again amid continued hostilities in the ensuing weeks.
The newest deal’s terms remain unclear, including the impact on Lebanon’s role in the ceasefire arrangement. The Lebanese army cautioned displaced persons against immediate return to border towns and urged them to report any unexploded ordnance, highlighting ongoing security risks. Local residents like Jalal Naser, a cafe owner in Nabatieh, expressed anxiety over persistent military drone activity and widespread destruction, emphasizing that meaningful peace will depend on a full cessation of attacks and Israeli withdrawal.
Hezbollah praised the U.S.-Iran agreement and called on the Lebanese government to reconsider its ongoing talks with Israel, arguing that reliance on Iran offers the best protection for Lebanon’s interests. The group has long opposed direct negotiations with Israel, insisting that Iran is best positioned to represent Lebanese interests in regional disputes. Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, however, affirmed that discussions with Israel would continue with the goal of achieving an Israeli withdrawal.
Analysts such as Filippo Dionigi, an international relations professor at the University of Bristol, suggest that the deal could reshape the Israeli-Lebanese dialogue but also note that Iran aims to position itself as the principal intermediary in regional affairs, potentially limiting Lebanon’s independent diplomatic options.
The recent escalation has inflicted severe humanitarian and economic damage on Lebanon, with the Health Ministry reporting more than 3,700 deaths since March, a figure that does not differentiate between combatants and civilians. At least 30 Israelis have also died in the conflict. Though the peace deal offers a tentative path forward, residents like Naser remain skeptical, emphasizing that peace will be unattainable unless hostilities fully cease and territorial issues are resolved.