STORY: Displaced Lebanese rush home after ceasefire
SHOOTING TIME: Nov. 28, 2024
DATELINE: Nov. 29, 2024
LENGTH: 00:01:20
LOCATION: Beirut
CATEGORY: MILITARY/SOCIETY

SHOTLIST:
1. various of the entrance of the Sohmor village
2. various of damages resulting from Israeli strikes on Sohmor

STORYLINE:

As the ceasefire agreement between Lebanon and Israel took effect on Wednesday, thousands of displaced Lebanese gathered their belongings and set out on the long-awaited journey back to their homes in southern Lebanon.

Many returnees have endured over a year of displacement. Their return was marked by happiness at reclaiming their homes but also the grief of lost harvests, destroyed properties, and loved ones who perished during the conflict.

The Lebanese army deployed bulldozers and trucks to repair roads damaged by airstrikes in the Bekaa Valley and southern Lebanon.

Members of the Internal Security Forces managed traffic at key intersections. Meanwhile, medical teams from the Lebanese Red Cross and the Islamic Health Authority stationed themselves at city entrances to handle emergencies.

In the eastern city of Baalbek and the villages of western Bekaa, including Machghara, Sohmor, and Yohmor, returnees faced the devastation of homes and infrastructure caused by relentless airstrikes.

Yet, not everyone could go back. Those from villages along the Israeli-Lebanese border were forced to wait, as Israel warned against their return until its forces completed their withdrawal.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Beirut.
(XHTV)