Thousands of Lebanese have begun returning home in southern Lebanon and the southern suburbs of Beirut. Traffic on main roads is heavy after a 10-day ceasefire with Israel came into effect at midnight, DPA reported, BTA reported.
Witnesses reported heavy traffic jams on roads leading south, with vehicles loaded with mattresses and personal belongings.
Some passengers waved "Hezbollah" flags, others showed the victory sign. Along the roads, young people handed out sweets to those returning. There were also celebrations overnight in the southern port city of Sidon, where residents took to the streets after the ceasefire was announced.
The return comes after more than six weeks of fighting between the Iranian-backed Hezbollah group and the Israeli army, which has forced hundreds of thousands of residents to flee southern Lebanon and the southern suburbs of Beirut and caused widespread destruction.
A fragile ceasefire announced yesterday by US President Donald Trump has allowed displaced residents to begin returning, despite uncertainty over how long the ceasefire will last.
A Hezbollah source told DPA that people began returning shortly after midnight, although not all were able to reach their destinations as Israeli troops were still in some areas.
Shortly after the ceasefire came into effect, the Israeli army warned residents not to move south of the Litani River, about 30 kilometers from the border, where many of the displaced people come from.
The Lebanese army said a specialized unit was working to fully restore the key Qasmiyeh-Tir bridge in cooperation with municipalities and civil organizations after it was destroyed in an Israeli strike on Thursday.