Syria’s QUSAIR (AP) On the second day of a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah following nearly 14 months of fighting, thousands of people crossed back into Lebanon from Syria.
Bumper-to-bumper cars waited Thursday to be allowed to cross the Jousieh border crossing in the Qusair district of Syria’s Homs province, near Lebanon’s northeastern border. Cars heading into Lebanon occupied all four lanes, forcing others waiting to enter Syria to use an off-road.
Two of the six border crossings between Syria and Lebanon are still open after the others were closed by Israeli bombings. A 375-kilometer (233-mile) border separates the two nations.
In the last year, more than 600,000 people have fled Lebanon to Syria, primarily as a result of the Israeli-Hezbolla conflict intensifying in mid-September. Given that Lebanon continues to host over a million Syrian refugees who left the country’s 2011 war, the cross-border migration represented a dramatic turnabout in circumstances.
Thousands of people started to return to Lebanon as the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah took effect early on Wednesday.
As they returned to Lebanon on Thursday, families crammed themselves into cars with blankets, mattresses, and bags, while kids held onto backpacks, some of which were wrapped in blankets. As many returnees faced the sobering prospect of returning to their potentially ruined homes, the atmosphere was a mixture of relief and sadness.
Hasan Fliti, 54, who owns a dairy shop and is moving back to Lebanon with his wife and two kids, said, “We have been in Syria since Sept. 23. We had to leave our jobs, our homes, and our loved ones because of the war.” The truce and the absence of further devastation make me pleased. You no longer fear being struck by airstrikes.
A Syrian security official at the Jousieh border told The Associated Press that about 2,000 individuals entered into Lebanon on the first day of the ceasefire.
Over 4,000 returned to Lebanon on Thursday, and the figure is still growing. Families were crammed inside the border hall to have their IDs or passports stamped. As the number of returnees climbed rapidly, some smoked while others waited on their bags, awaiting clearance.
Wafa Wehbe, 37, was one of them; she had been in Syria for over a month with her family, seeking refuge.
It is an amazing feeling to return to my home, she remarked. For the martyrs who had to die, there is a sense of tragedy. The kids are in sorrow.
Wehbe said she will now remain at her sister’s house after her home in Khiyam, which is still under Israeli control, was demolished. In addition, I’m returning to grieve for our martyrs. They lost their lives in combat on the front lines.
Ghinwa Arzouni, who fled southern Lebanon for safety in Homs, described the trip home as both a challenge and a comfort. “We can’t wait to return, but I’m scared of the journey because it’s a long way back,” she remarked.
Although there may be some shattered glass, our house in the south is fine; we will need to visit and check it out for ourselves. Instead of being displaced, we intend to visit Syria again as tourists.
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