Over 600,000 displaced Lebanese return home since ceasefire

The conflict, which began on March 2 when Hezbollah attacked Israel, displaced over one million people, primarily from southern Lebanon and the southern suburbs of Beirut. Israeli retaliatory strikes and a ground offensive lasted over three months, resulting in nearly 4,300 deaths, according to Lebanese authorities. An IOM report indicates that 646,107 people have returned, while approximately 500,000 remain displaced as of June 22.

A memorandum of understanding between Tehran and Washington on June 17 led to a ceasefire in Lebanon on June 21, followed by a framework agreement between Lebanon and Israel on June 26 for "lasting peace." Informal camps in Beirut have been dismantled, and official shelters have decreased. However, returns to many southern localities, especially those near the border and heavily damaged by Israeli operations, are pending.

Israel intends to maintain its troops up to ten kilometers from its border in southern Lebanon and continue occasional strikes. The US-mediated framework agreement, reached after five rounds of negotiations, conditions Israeli withdrawal on the disarmament of Hezbollah, which the group has refused. Observers question the Lebanese state's ability to achieve this, despite government commitments.