STORY: Lebanese return to war-torn villages amid hope, despair
SHOOTING TIME: Feb. 20, 2025
DATELINE: Feb. 22, 2025
LENGTH: 00:01:43
LOCATION: Beirut
CATEGORY: SOCIETY

SHOTLIST:
1. various of destroyed houses in Maroun Al-Ras Village

STORYLINE:

Dozens of residents of Al-Wazzani, a border village in southeastern Lebanon, have returned to their homeland following the Israeli withdrawal on Feb. 18.

Returnees sensed a mixture of joy and devastation due to the vast destruction.

Across the border region, villages stand as grim testaments to the war's devastation. Once bustling streets are now eerily silent, roads are riddled with craters, homes are reduced to skeletal remains, and once-thriving farmland has turned into barren wastelands.

In Adaisseh, a village bordering the Blue Line between Lebanon and Israel, returning residents gathered in the main square. Women threw flowers to welcome Lebanese soldiers, while others embraced each other amid the rubble of their former homes.

A significant concern remains in Adaisseh, where a large part of its outskirts falls within Al-Aweida Hill -- one of five strategic positions still occupied by Israeli forces despite their supposed withdrawal.

Meanwhile, in Kafr Kila -- a village subjected to some of the most systematic Israeli destruction -- residents defied the Lebanese army's caution and returned by foot through backroads. They were shocked to find Israeli troops still stationed at the northern entrance, warning them not to approach the concrete border wall, now riddled with gaps and cracks.

In Maroun Al-Ras, a village in the central sector of southern Lebanon that was completely destroyed, residents have opted to return despite the conditions. Many are living in prefabricated houses or temporary tents until reconstruction begins.

Since Nov. 27, a ceasefire agreement has been in place between Israel and Lebanon, halting over a year of clashes between Hezbollah and Israeli forces, which were fueled by the war in Gaza. Under the terms of the agreement, Israel was to withdraw from Lebanese territory within 60 days, a deadline that passed on Jan. 26 before being extended at Washington's request until Feb. 18.

Despite the extension, Israel has yet to fully withdraw, retaining control over five key strategic heights along the Lebanese border. The ceasefire also mandates the deployment of the Lebanese army in the south to ensure security, prevent the presence of weapons and militants in the area, and enforce UN Resolution 1701 adopted in 2006.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Beirut.
(XHTV)