Thousands of displaced Lebanese return from Syria as ceasefire with Israel holds

QUSAIR, Syria (AP) — Thousands of people made the crossing back into Lebanon from Syria on the second day of a ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel, after nearly 14 months of fighting.

At the Jousieh border crossing in the Qusair area of Syria’s Homs province, on Lebanon’s northeastern border, bumper-to-bumper cars lined up on Thursday waiting to be cleared for crossing. All four lanes were taken up by cars making their way into Lebanon, while those waiting to cross into Syria had to use an offroad.

Of the six border crossings between Lebanon and Syria, two remain functional after Israeli airstrikes forced the others shut. The two countries share a border 375 kilometers (233 miles) long.

Over 600,000 people fleeing Lebanon poured into Syria in the past year, most of them after the war between Israel and Hezbollah escalated in mid-September. The cross-border flow was a striking reversal in fortunes given that Lebanon is still hosting more than 1 million Syrian refugees who fled the war in their country that began in 2011.

As the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah took hold early Wednesday, thousands of people began their return to Lebanon.

Families packed into vehicles with suitcases, mattresses and blankets, while children clutched backpacks, some wrapped in blankets, as they made their way back to Lebanon Thursday. The mood was mixed with relief and sorrow as many returnees faced the grim reality of returning to their homes that might be destroyed.

“We have been in Syria since Sept. 23, we had to leave our jobs, our homes and our loved ones because of the war,” said Hasan Fliti, a 54-year-old dairy shop owner who is returning to Lebanon with his wife and two children. “I am happy that there is a ceasefire and there is no more destruction. You are not afraid anymore of the airstrikes to hit.”

On the first day of the ceasefire, more than 2,000 people crossed into Lebanon, a Syrian security official at the Jousieh border told The Associated Press.

On Thursday, more than 4,000 crossed back into Lebanon and the number continues to rise. The hall at the border was filled with families waiting to get their passports or IDs stamped. Some smoked, others sat on their luggage, waiting for clearance as the flow of returnees steadily increased.

Among them was 37-year-old Wafa Wehbe, who had sought refuge with her family in Syria for more than a month.

“My house is gone, but it is an indescribable feeling to go back,” she said. “There’s a tragic sensation for the martyrs who had to die. The children are mourning.”

Wehbe’s home in Khiyam, located in an area still under Israeli control, was destroyed, but she said she will now stay at her sister’s. “I am also going back to mourn our martyrs. They died fighting at the frontlines.”

Ghinwa Arzouni, who had sought refuge in Homs from southern Lebanon, said the journey home is both a relief and a challenge. “We’re excited to go back, but I am afraid of the trip, it’s a long way back,” she said.

"Our house in the south is okay, it might have broken glass but will have to get there first to inspect for ourselves. We hope to return to Syria as tourists and not displaced.”