Thousands of Lebanese civilians are returning to their destroyed homes, hours after a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah came into effect.
The US-brokered ceasefire to end 13 months of fighting began at 04:00 local time (02:00 GMT) and so far appears to be holding.
“My family spent their lifetime building this. We lived here for 25 years and now it is all gone,” a resident of Dahieh, southern Beirut, tells the BBC.
Meanwhile traffic jams line the main highway out of the city as families return to their homes in the south, the BBC’s Hugo Bachega reports from Lebanon.
Israeli troops began a land invasion of Lebanon almost two months ago, in response to almost a year of rocket attacks from Hezbollah.
The ceasefire in Lebanon will not directly affect Israel’s war in Gaza. Hamas officials have reacted positively to the deal, saying they are “ready” for a ceasefire in Gaza.__BBC.com
