Families return to shattered towns as fragile ceasefire holds in Lebanon

play Live Sign upShow navigation menu.css-15ru6p1{font-size:inherit;font-weight:normal;}Navigation menuNewsShow more news sectionsAfricaAsiaUS & CanadaLatin AmericaEuropeAsia PacificWorld CupMiddle EastExplainedOpinionVideoMoreShow more sectionsFeaturesEconomySportHuman RightsClimate CrisisInvestigationsInteractivesIn PicturesScience & TechnologyPodcastsTravelplay Live Click here to searchsearchSign upNavigation menucaret-leftIsrael attacks LebanonIsrael bombs LebanonWhat is Lebanon’s Beaufort Castle?Has Hezbollah been weakened?Why is Israel attacking Nabatieh?caret-rightIn Pictures Southern Lebanon’s displaced face dire conditions as they return to salvaged belongings amid ceasefire uncertainties. xwhatsapp-strokecopylinkgoogleAdd Al Jazeera on GoogleinfoA man who returns to his village following the announcement of an initial ceasefire agreement between the United States and Iran, flashes victory sign as he stands on the rubble of his destroyed house in Nabatiyeh town, southern Lebanon. [Hussein Malla/AP Photo]By Al Jazeera Staff, AP and ReutersPublished On 16 Jun 202616 Jun 2026Forcibly displaced families are returning to shattered towns and villages in southern Lebanon after the initial announcement of a ceasefire agreement between the United States and Iran. Months of cross-border fire and air raids have levelled homes, shops and public buildings, leaving some neighbourhoods barely recognisable. As word of the ceasefire filtered through, families who had been sheltering with relatives, in schools or in crowded apartments in safer areas, began making the journey back to see what remains of their property. Many are finding collapsed roofs, burned-out cars and rooms stripped of doors and windows. With basic services still disrupted and the security situation uncertain, some residents are choosing to stay only long enough to salvage documents, clothing and household items before leaving again. Others, with nowhere else to go, are attempting to restart their lives amid the destruction. Israeli attacks on Lebanon have killed 3,798 people since March 2, according to the Ministry of Public Health. They have also forcibly displaced about 1.2 million people Show moreAbout UsCode of EthicsTerms and ConditionsEU/EEA Regulatory NoticePrivacy PolicyCookie PolicyCookie PreferencesAccessibility StatementSitemapWork for usConnectConnectShow moreContact UsUser Accounts HelpAdvertise with usStay ConnectedNewslettersChannel FinderTV SchedulePodcastsSubmit a TipPaid Partner ContentOur ChannelsOur ChannelsShow moreAl Jazeera ArabicAl Jazeera EnglishAl Jazeera Investigative UnitAl Jazeera MubasherAl Jazeera DocumentaryAl Jazeera BalkansAJ+Our NetworkOur NetworkShow moreAl Jazeera Centre for StudiesAl Jazeera Media InstituteLearn ArabicAl Jazeera Centre for Public Liberties & Human RightsAl Jazeera ForumAl Jazeera Hotel PartnersFollow Al Jazeera English: