Lebanese rush back to their devastated homes in south after US-Iran deal

What Happened

Thousands of Lebanese civilians began returning to their homes in southern Lebanon after a deal between Iran and the United States to end the war, despite Israel's refusal to withdraw and its continued occupation of nearly 20% of Lebanon. Lebanese authorities and the army warned residents of border villages to exercise caution, but many displaced people, including Fadl Nasser who returned to Ain Baal in Tyre district from Sidon, chose to go back immediately, citing harsh displacement conditions. The south has suffered massive destruction since March 2: at least 3,783 killed and 11,699 wounded, with entire villages razed in areas like Tyre and Nabatieh. More than a third of Tyre's population was displaced. In Deir Qanoun en-Nahr, Mohammad Hariri mourned his son and nephew killed in an Israeli air raid. Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said troops will not withdraw from the country's south, which it calls a buffer zone. Iran warned that any Israeli attack or continued occupation would violate the interim agreement, to be formally signed in Geneva on Friday. Hezbollah backed the deal. Two prior US-brokered ceasefires, on April 16 and June 3, did not stop the violence. On Monday afternoon, an Israeli drone strike on a car in southern Lebanon killed its driver.

Key Actors

Why It Matters

The mass return amid a fragile deal and ongoing occupation underscores the deep connection of Lebanese to their land and the immense pressure to resolve displacement. Israel's refusal to withdraw threatens to undermine the agreement, potentially reigniting conflict, testing the credibility of US and Iranian mediation and the implementation of ceasefire terms.

Watch For

Formal signing of the interim agreement in Geneva on Friday; any Israeli withdrawal or maintenance of the buffer zone; Hezbollah and Iranian responses to further Israeli strikes or continued occupation; actions by the Lebanese army to facilitate safe return; statements from the US and Iran on enforcement mechanisms.