Al Jazeera correspondents on the ground report that Israeli bulldozers are also continuing to demolish homes.
Published on 18 April 2026
Beirut, Lebanon – Thousands of displaced Lebanese families are returning home despite ongoing reports of Israeli shelling and demolition of homes near the country’s southern border.
Cars loaded with mattresses, bags and salvaged goods continued to flow south on Saturday as families went back to see if their homes were intact. “There is destruction there and it is not worth living. We are taking our things and leaving again,” said Fadel Badreddine, displaced from Nabatieh.
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“May God give us relief and end this whole thing permanently – not temporarily – so that we can return to our homes and livelihoods.”
A preliminary assessment conducted by Lebanese authorities before the ceasefire found that approximately 40,000 homes were destroyed or damaged. Beirut’s southern suburbs were among the worst-hit areas, followed by districts in southern Lebanon. “I came to check my house and get some things,” said Samia Lawand, a resident of Beirut’s southern suburbs.
“I found that it was badly damaged. It was affected in the last war and again in this war.”
Continuous Israeli attacks
The 10-day ceasefire took effect Thursday night, raising hopes for a pause after 46 days of intense Israeli attacks. But uncertainty remains amid widespread destruction and Israeli warnings against returning to parts of southern Lebanon.
Amid the fragile ceasefire, Al Jazeera correspondents on the ground reported that Israeli bulldozers were continuing demolition and land-clearing operations in several areas of southern Lebanon, while Israeli artillery also shelled areas around Beit Lif, al-Qantara and Toul.
Residents living closest to the border with Israel have largely been unable to return, while others have faced delays after Israeli strikes damaged bridges linking areas south of the Litani River with the rest of Lebanon.
During the war, Israeli forces launched a ground offensive stretching several kilometers into Lebanese territory. Now Israeli officials say that Israel will have control over 55 towns and villages.
Al Jazeera’s Tony Cheng said Israel had established what he described as a “yellow line” security zone at some locations extending 10 km (6.2 mi) from the border.
“This allows it to control a line of antitank fire, meaning it can bring heavy artillery and heavy armor into Lebanon,” Cheng said.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said that the area between the security zone and the Litani River had not yet been cleared of fighters and “weapons”.
“This will have to be done through diplomatic means or continued Israeli military activity after the ceasefire,” he said.
possibility of conversation
Rare face-to-face talks between Lebanon and Israel are expected to resume in the coming days, although the two sides appear to have very different priorities.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun met with Prime Minister Nawaf Salam at the Baabda Palace on Saturday, where the two discussed the latest security and diplomatic developments.
He also reviewed efforts to strengthen the ceasefire, including Aoun’s contacts with US President Donald Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and a number of Arab and foreign leaders.
Meanwhile, the government’s decision to engage in talks with Israel risks deepening tensions with Hezbollah.
Both Israel and the Lebanese government have called for Hezbollah to disarm, but the group says its weapons are necessary to protect communities in Lebanon and the south, while it has insisted it will not disarm without agreement on a national defense strategy.
Hezbollah has also linked the ceasefire to broader regional diplomacy involving Iran, with parallel talks between the US and Iran expected in Islamabad in the coming days.
