Tens of thousands in Lebanon head home

BEIRUT — Tens of thousands of Lebanese displaced by the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah headed back to their devastated towns and villages on Wednesday as a cease-fire took hold.

Under the terms of the deal that brought the fighting to a halt, the Lebanese military started reinforcing its presence in the country's south, where Hezbollah has long held sway.

After nearly a year of cross-border exchanges of fire, in which Hezbollah said it was acting in support of Palestinians, Israel escalated airstrikes against Hezbollah targets in Lebanon on Sept 23. A week later, it sent ground troops to southern Lebanon.

The conflict killed thousands of people in Lebanon and triggered mass displacements on both sides of the border.

In its first statement since the truce, Hezbollah said on Wednesday it had achieved "victory" over Israel and that its fighters were at the ready.

Hezbollah lawmaker Hassan Fadlallah told AFP that his group was cooperating with the Lebanese army's deployment in southern Lebanon.

There is "full cooperation" with the Lebanese state in strengthening the army's deployment, he said.

However, the Israeli military said on Thursday the cease-fire was violated after what it called suspects, some in vehicles, arrived at several areas in the southern zone.

Earlier, state media and Lebanese security sources said Israeli tank fire hit six areas within the border strip on Thursday morning.

The road from the Lebanese capital to the south was jammed since the early hours with thousands of people heading home.

"What we feel is indescribable," said one Lebanese driver on the road to the south. "The people have won!"

Others, however, voiced quiet desolation.

Returning to his home in the southern town of Nabatieh, Ali Mazraani said he was shocked by the extent of devastation from the Israeli raids.

"Is this really Nabatieh?" he asked. "All our memories of Nabatieh have disappeared, and we can't recognize our own town."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the truce in Lebanon would permit Israel to redirect its efforts back to Gaza. "When Hezbollah is out of the picture, Hamas is left alone in the fight. Our pressure on it will intensify," he said.

Israeli military strikes killed at least 17 Palestinians across the Gaza Strip on Thursday, medics said, as forces stepped up their bombardment of central areas and tanks pushed deeper into the north and south of the enclave.

Agencies via Xinhua