Over 15,000 Lebanese return home from Syria following ceasefire agreement

More than 15,000 people have returned to their homes in Lebanon from Syria after a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah came into effect.

Gonzalo Vargas Llosa, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) representative in Syria, shared the update on his X (formerly Twitter) account, noting that the return began following the ceasefire implementation on November 27, Caliber.Az reports.

I was at the border between Syria and Lebanon today.

Until three days ago, thousands of Lebanese and Syrians were fleeing the bombings in Lebanon and crossing into Syria.

Now, since the ceasefire started 48 hours, we have seen more than 15,000 Lebanese go home. They have one… pic.twitter.com/PRNK1kKHay

— Gonzalo Vargas Llosa (@llosa_gonzalo) November 29, 2024

Vargas Llosa explained that before the ceasefire, thousands of Lebanese and Syrians fled to Syria to escape the ongoing shelling and bombings. "More than 15,000 Lebanese have returned to their homes within 48 hours of the ceasefire's start," he said.

The UN official emphasized that these individuals are eager to rebuild their lives in peace. He also assured that UNHCR, along with its partners, will continue to support displaced people by visiting the border areas.

The UN had previously reported that approximately 896,300 people in Lebanon were displaced due to the conflict, with women making up 51% of the displaced population.

Tensions between Israel and Hezbollah escalated after Hezbollah launched rockets into northern Israel on October 8, 2023, in support of Palestinians, one day after the Hamas-led attack in southern Israel. Since then, Israel has escalated its military actions, killing several high-profile Hezbollah commanders, including the group's leader, Hassan Nasrallah.

The ongoing conflict has caused significant casualties. According to the Lebanese Ministry of Health, at least 3,645 Lebanese have died since the violence intensified in October 2023, with the majority of casualties occurring in September 2024.

By Tamilla Hasanova