A fragile 10-day truce that paused weeks of intense fighting between Israel and Hezbollah has prompted a mixed response in southern Lebanon: some displaced residents have returned to their villages, while many remain uncertain about whether the ceasefire will hold. The wider conflict has been devastating, with nearly 2,300 dead in Lebanon and more than a million people displaced since the violence began on March 2.
On the ground in several border communities, people were seen inspecting damaged homes, hauling belongings back into houses and walking among rubble from destroyed buildings. In some villages, residents unloaded mattresses and appliances as they tried to reestablish daily life; elsewhere, families retrieved items and then traveled away from the south, still unsure it was safe to stay permanently.
Israeli officials have stressed that the military will continue to act against perceived threats in Lebanon even during the truce. Defence Minister Israel Katz said forces were ordered to use “full force” on the ground and from the air to protect troops and to remove structures thought to be rigged or used as militant outposts. The military also released a map showing a “forward defence line” and an extended area along the border where it says operations will continue to dismantle hostile infrastructure and prevent threats to communities in northern Israel.
There have been multiple reports of demolitions and clearance operations in towns close to the border, and some communities have experienced artillery fire. Authorities in the south have also described sweep-and-detonation activities and the destruction of houses that saw heavy fighting before the ceasefire. Separately, the military said it had established a “Yellow Line” in south Lebanon, modeled on a boundary used in other recent operations, to separate areas under different levels of control.
The truce arrived soon after the highest-level Lebanon‑Israel meeting in decades and has already sparked diplomatic activity. A number of governments have expressed concern about ongoing military moves near the frontier; one regional minister criticized what he called “expansionism” in Lebanon. Meanwhile, French leaders plan to meet with Lebanon’s prime minister to reaffirm support for the country’s territorial integrity and to press for accountability over an attack on UN peacekeepers that killed a French soldier—an incident that has been widely condemned and remains under dispute.
Local authorities have begun restoring limited movement by reopening a road between Nabatiyeh and the Khardali area and partially reopening the Burj Rahal–Tyre bridge, but access to parts of the south remains restricted after strikes on several bridges across the Litani River, roughly 30 kilometres from the border. With infrastructure damaged and many safety questions unresolved, life in these communities will depend on whether the ceasefire holds and whether reconstruction and security measures can proceed without further escalation.
