BEIRUT, Jan. 30 (Xinhua) -- Salwa Al-Shaheemi, 60, clambered over a dirt barrier blocking the road to her village, Kafr Kila, her face etched with exhaustion and resolve.

"Our people will not abandon their homes," she said, her voice steady despite Israel's military presence just beyond the hills. "This is our answer to their refusal to leave."

For five days, convoys of cars draped in Lebanese flags and Hezbollah banners have choked roads near Lebanon's southern border, as hundreds of villagers -- men, women, and children -- march toward homes they fled months ago during cross-border clashes. Their return, timed to the expiration of a 60-day ceasefire deadline for Israel's withdrawal, has reignited tensions in a region scarred by decades of conflict.

The Lebanese Health Ministry reported at least 25 deaths and 160 injuries this week, attributing the casualties to efforts by Israeli forces to block civilians from advancing. Yet the crowds pressed on, undeterred by live fire and warnings from loudspeakers.

In the rubble-strewn town of Khiam, 30-year-old Haitham Abdallah surveyed what remained of his neighborhood. "Our homes are gone, but our roots are here," he said, gesturing to collapsed buildings and scattered Israeli military debris. Nearby, soldiers monitored returnees as families sifted through the wreckage for belongings.

Further south, in Kfarchouba -- a village destroyed and rebuilt four times since the 1970s -- 50-year-old Jamil Yahya watched as elderly residents swept debris from doorsteps. "Mothers dig through concrete hoping to find a photo, a shirt -- anything that says their life was real," he said.

Under the ceasefire agreement reached last December, Israel was set to withdraw from southern Lebanon once the Lebanese army deployed to secure the area and prevent Hezbollah's resurgence. However, Israel announced last week that its forces would remain in the region beyond the deadline, arguing that the Lebanese military has yet to establish full control and that Hezbollah has not fully withdrawn north of the Litani River.

On Monday, Lebanon's caretaker government agreed to extend the ceasefire until Feb. 18, following a U.S. request to buy time for negotiations. President Joseph Aoun called for restraint, asking residents to "trust the army" to facilitate their safe return. The UN peacekeeping mission also warned that "conditions are not yet in place for citizens to return safely."

However, for some, all warnings and risks would not stop them from returning. Hassan Al-Moussawi, 60, traveled from Baalbek to search for his son, missing since clashes began. "If diplomacy fails, we won't stop fighting to return."

The southern residents' actions have drawn supporters from across Lebanon. Dalal Daoud, a young woman from Tripoli, joined the march to honor their resilience. "We came from Beirut, the north, the east -- united," she said. "Even the women here are warriors, digging for their loved ones' remains."

In Kfarhamam, returnees distributed sweets in a bittersweet celebration. "We're fixing water lines and roads ourselves," said Hussein Abdel Hamid. "But without guarantees, how long will this last?" Enditem

Related

Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)