Naim Berjawi
17 June 2026•Update: 17 June 2026
Thousands of displaced Lebanese returning to southern villages after months of war are coming back not to normal life, but to destroyed homes, ruined businesses and entire neighborhoods scarred by Israeli bombardment.
For a second consecutive day, roads leading to southern Lebanon witnessed heavy movement as families headed back to towns they fled during Israel’s assault that began in March.
The returns accelerated after the announcement of a US-Iran understanding aimed at ending the war across multiple fronts, including Lebanon, prompting many displaced residents to seize what they saw as their first real chance to go home.
But for many, the return quickly turned into a painful confrontation with the scale of devastation left behind.
-Destroyed shops, lost livelihoods
In Tyre district, dozens of residents found shops destroyed, homes heavily damaged and years of work wiped out during months of Israeli strikes.
In the village of Shaabiya, one returnee using the pseudonym Abu Hassan said the losses he suffered amount to tens of thousands of dollars after Israeli attacks damaged several commercial properties he owned.
“People were left alone to face all this destruction,” he told Anadolu. “We don’t want wars. We want to rebuild our lives.”
He said returning home did not mean the suffering was over, stressing that many families cannot afford to restore homes or reopen businesses without compensation.
Another resident, Abu Ali, said Israeli bombardment destroyed the home goods business that had supported his family for two decades.
“My entire livelihood disappeared overnight,” he said while inspecting the damage to his shop.
“This was 20 years of work and exhaustion. Today, I have no work left.”
According to preliminary estimates by the private Information International research group, losses from Israel’s latest assault on Lebanon have reached at least $5 billion, pending official assessments.
The group previously estimated damages from Israeli attacks since October 2023 at around $15 billion.
-‘We will continue resisting’
In the town of Jouaiya, Hezbollah lawmaker Hussein Jishi visited a civil defense center previously targeted in an Israeli strike.
Jishi accused Israel of pursuing a “scorched-earth policy” aimed at forcing itself onto Lebanese land through destruction and intimidation.
“We will continue resisting with our heads held high,” he told Anadolu. “Our land will not remain occupied, and we will continue confronting the occupation until it leaves.”
Despite the return of many families, several southern towns remain under Israeli occupation or near military zones where residents are still unable to return.
This is not the first time displaced residents have attempted to go back to southern Lebanon. Previous ceasefire arrangements repeatedly collapsed amid Israeli violations, forcing families to flee once again.
Regional tensions have escalated since late February after the US and Israel launched airstrikes on Iran, killing more than 3,000 people. Tehran responded with strikes on Gulf countries and Israel, as well as restrictions on passage through the Strait of Hormuz.
Washington and Tehran reached a temporary truce on April 8 through Pakistani mediation before announcing a framework agreement to end the conflict. The accord is expected to be formally signed in Geneva, Switzerland on June 19.
Israel has been waging an offensive on Lebanon since March 2 that has left thousands killed and wounded and more than 1 million displaced, according to the latest official figures.
Israel occupies areas in southern Lebanon, some for decades and others since the previous war between 2023 and 2024. During the current offensive, Israeli forces pushed more than 10 kilometers (6.21 miles) into Lebanon.
*Writing by Tarek Chouiref
