Forcibly displaced families are returning to shattered towns and villages in southern Lebanon after the initial announcement of a ceasefire agreement between the United States and Iran.

Months of cross-border fire and air raids have levelled homes, shops and public buildings, leaving some neighbourhoods barely recognisable. As word of the ceasefire filtered through, families who had been sheltering with relatives, in schools or in crowded apartments in safer areas, began making the journey back to see what remains of their property.

Many are finding collapsed roofs, burned-out cars and rooms stripped of doors and windows. With basic services still disrupted and the security situation uncertain, some residents are choosing to stay only long enough to salvage documents, clothing and household items before leaving again. Others, with nowhere else to go, are attempting to restart their lives amid the destruction.

Israeli attacks on Lebanon have killed 3,798 people since March 2, according to the Ministry of Public Health. They have also forcibly displaced about 1.2 million people