Thousands of Lebanese rush back to their homes after Iran-US deal despite Israel saying it won’t end its occupation of Lebanon.

Fadl Nasser hopped on his motorcycle and rushed to his home town of Ain Baal in southern Lebanon the moment he heard the news of a deal between Iran and the United States to end the war that included Lebanon.

He is one of thousands joining a steady stream of traffic heading towards southern Lebanon, which bore the brunt of Israeli bombardment since March 2. Cars packed with luggage that months ago carried fleeing families to the north are now making the reverse journey.

Nasser is among the 1.2 million Lebanese people who were forced to flee their homes in southern Lebanon following the Israeli invasion. He was forced to take shelter inside a makeshift shelter set up inside a school in Sidon, some 44km (27 miles) north of his home town in Tyre district, which suffered widespread destruction.

As Lebanese head back to their homes, Israeli forces continue to occupy nearly 20 percent of Lebanon, and threats of Israeli attacks loom amid its refusal to withdraw from the south.

Cautious return to devastation

Following the ceasefire announcement, Lebanese authorities and the army warned residents of border villages to exercise caution and refrain from returning until the security situation improves.

Despite the warnings, people, many of whom have been living in tents and cars, chose to return to their homes. Abu al-Hassan, another returning resident, told Al Jazeera that the harsh experience of displacement only deepened people’s connection to their villages, making the return “an indescribable feeling regardless of the damage sustained”.

The destruction awaiting them is vast, with large-scale destruction to homes and other civilian infrastructure similar to that in Gaza. Since Israel launched its war on Lebanon on March 2, at least 3,783 people have been killed and 11,699 wounded.

Highly populated areas like Tyre and Nabatieh sustained massive destruction in Israeli bombings, with entire villages being razed in many areas in the south. More than a third of Tyre’s population was forcefully displaced.

In Deir Qanoun en-Nahr, located in Tyre district, Mohammad Hariri stood before his ruined family home, mourning the loss of his son and nephew in an Israeli air raid.

“Losing loved ones remains much harder than losing stones,” Hariri said, noting that some families have returned to stay with relatives before reconstruction begins.

In Nabatieh, Hussein Barjawi, a local official known as a mukhtar, said that destruction in some neighbourhoods exceeds 70 percent, making rebuilding a daunting task. He pointed out that residents returned at the first opportunity without waiting for official directives, highlighting a deep-rooted connection to their land.

A backdrop of broken truces

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday said its troops will not withdraw from the country’s south, which it says is a buffer zone, despite the deal.

On Tuesday, Iran warned that any Israeli attack on Lebanon or continued occupation of its ⁠territory from now on ⁠will constitute a violation of the interim agreement, which will be formally signed in Geneva on Friday.

Lebanese group Hezbollah, which has been fighting against Israel, has backed the deal to end the war on all fronts.

The Iran war spilled into Lebanon after Hezbollah fired rockets at Israel in response to the February 28 killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. This was Hezbollah’s first attack since signing the 2024 ceasefire with Israel.

Hezbollah was engaged in months-long cross-border attacks with Israel in 2024, which the Lebanese group said were in solidarity with the Palestinians in Gaza. Israel has faced global condemnation for its war on Gaza, which has been dubbed a genocide by global scholars and rights groups.

The November 2024 ceasefire required Israel to withdraw troops and Hezbollah to move its armed presence north of the Litani River. However, Israel never fully halted its fire and maintained an occupation of five points along the border. Hezbollah refused to disarm as long as Israeli troops continued to occupy Lebanese lands.

Two US-brokered ceasefires – April 16 and June 3 – did little to stem the violence in southern Lebanon as Israel continues to attack Lebanon and even targets south of Beirut despite Trump’s warning.

The security situation remains volatile, with Israel saying it is not bound by the deal. On Monday afternoon, Lebanese state media reported that an Israeli drone strike on a car in southern Lebanon killed its driver.