For some returnees, the short-lived ceasefire between Israel and the Lebanese government under pressure from US President Donald Trump was a new source of hope.
“Our emotions are indescribable, of pride and victory,” Amani Atrash, 37, told AFP from her car seat. He expressed hope that the ceasefire would be extended.
Across the border in Israel, the army’s Home Front Command has not yet lifted restrictions on civilian movements in vulnerable border areas.
Still, there were some citizens daring to hope for a return to a more normal life.
“I have a three-year-old girl and a two-month-old baby, and the whole time we haven’t left the house because you don’t know when there will be a rocket attack,” Ofir Ben Aris Lev, 31, told AFP.