Lebanese Displaced Face New Test as Ceasefire Deal Signed

As television screens broadcast the signing of a US-mediated framework agreement between Lebanon and Israel in Washington, Abu Ali Jalal Awada sat in silence in a modest apartment in southern Lebanon. His family has lived there since fleeing the border town of Khiam. He paid little attention to the speeches marking what officials called a major diplomatic milestone. Instead, his thoughts were nearly 30 kilometres away, at the home he was forced to abandon months ago. “Is our suffering truly over?” Awada asked. “Will all parties abide by this agreement, or will disputes arise during its implementation?” For Awada, the deal is not merely a political document. It represents a chance to resume the life he was forced to leave behind. His hope mirrors that of thousands of displaced people across southern Lebanon. For many, the agreement marks the start of a test: whether diplomacy can restore security, allow families to return home, and revive shattered communities. The framework agreement, signed at the end of the latest round of ambassador-level talks in Washington on Friday, renews calls for the implementation of a fragile ceasefire between the two Middle Eastern nations. For many residents of southern Lebanon, however, attention has already shifted from the signing ceremony to how the deal will be applied on the ground in the coming days and months. The challenges along the border remain immense. Dozens of areas suffered severe damage during the conflict, with homes, roads, schools, and water and electricity networks destroyed or heavily damaged. Areas such as Kfar Kila, Adaisseh, and Mays al-Jabal are still marked by widespread destruction. Entire neighbourhoods have been reduced to rubble, while damaged infrastructure and limited public services continue to hinder the return of displaced families. For 60-year-old Hazem Farhat, who fled Dibbine for Ain Qenia in the Hasbaya district of southern Lebanon, returning home is far more important than the political language of the agreement. “What we want is simple,” he said. “We want to return to our homes and our land. We hope this agreement can make that happen and start a real reconstruction process so we can rebuild our lives and secure a future for our children.” Other residents say experience has taught them to temper their optimism with caution. Salwa Hamid, another displaced person, noted that previous initiatives had failed to deliver lasting stability. “We have heard about many agreements before,” she said. “What matters now is seeing real change on the ground, not just promises.” Those concerns resurfaced on Saturday following new attacks. According to the National News Agency, an Israeli drone struck a junction in the town of Nabatieh al-Fawqa in southern Lebanon, while another dropped stun grenades near the outskirts of the town of Kfar Tebnit. For many families, returning home also means restoring livelihoods lost to the conflict. In the eastern Lebanese town of Daher al-Ahmar, displaced farmer Jamal Dhib harvested apricots in the orchard of a local resident who had sheltered his family since they fled their village. “The war took not only our homes but also our livelihoods,” he said. “The land is our life. Only when it is restored and can be farmed again will any agreement truly change our reality. What we want most is to return to our fields.” For others, the loss extends beyond homes and livelihoods. In her temporary shelter in the eastern town of Al-Rafid, 50-year-old Najla Hamdan clutched a photograph of her two sons, who were killed in the conflict. “No agreement can replace the loss of my children,” she said. “But I hope this deal can spare other families the same suffering and allow people to return to their villages safely.” Beyond individual stories, many residents are asking the same question: whether the agreement will bring meaningful change. University lecturer Hossam Moussa believes that people will ultimately judge the deal by the tangible changes it brings to their daily lives. “People in the south are no longer just looking at political statements,” he said. “They want to see displaced families returning home, reconstruction projects starting, the agricultural sector recovering, and schools and health centres reopening. That is the standard by which they will judge this agreement.”