BEIRUT, June 15 (Xinhua) -- In a modest rented room in the southern Lebanese town of Hasbaya, 54-year-old Imad Abdallah sat with his wife and children around a small television, closely following reports about a possible Iran-U.S. agreement.
Months after fleeing his hometown of Khiam near the Lebanese-Israeli border, Abdallah still begins and ends each day with the same question: when will his family be able to return home?
"We want nothing more than to return to our home, even if it has been destroyed," Abdallah told Xinhua. "We can rebuild it. What is difficult is living away from home without knowing what comes next."
Like Abdallah, hundreds of thousands of displaced residents across Lebanon are closely following regional diplomacy with cautious optimism, hoping any easing of tensions could pave the way for a broader ceasefire and eventually allow them to return home.
Those hopes were boosted on Sunday after Iran and the United States reportedly finalized a memorandum of understanding under which military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon, were to end immediately and permanently.
According to Lebanon's Ministry of Social Affairs, around 780,000 displaced people have been registered with official authorities, though the actual number is believed to be higher, as many families are staying with relatives or renting homes without registering.
But while hopes for peace have risen, the hardships accumulated during months of displacement continue to weigh heavily on daily life.
In towns and cities across the country, what was expected to be a temporary displacement has turned into a prolonged struggle.
Rising rents, living expenses, and shrinking savings have forced many displaced households to alter diets and spending habits, relying increasingly on inexpensive staples while reducing purchases of meat and fresh produce, said Fatima Fahs, who fled the southern city of Nabatieh with her family.
For parents, financial concerns are also accompanied by emotional strain, as children continue asking when they will be able to return home and reunite with friends and classmates.
Even if a ceasefire is achieved, many displaced residents say rebuilding their communities may prove an even greater challenge.
After months of Israeli airstrikes, demolitions, and military operations, more than 68 Lebanese frontline towns and villages have suffered extensive destruction, with homes, roads, and public facilities left in ruins.
At a school-turned-shelter in the eastern village of Kawkaba, Iman Salman paused over photographs on her mobile phone, comparing images of her home before and after it was reduced to rubble.
For her, the loss represents more than the destruction of property. It also means the loss of years of labor and the foundation of family livelihoods and community life.
The destruction has extended beyond homes and public infrastructure to livelihoods as well.
Agriculture, a key source of income in southern Lebanon, has suffered heavily from the conflict. Many displaced farmers were forced to abandon olive groves, vineyards, tobacco fields, and vegetable farms, disrupting entire harvest seasons.
For younger generations, hopes for a ceasefire are accompanied by concerns about the long-term impact of displacement on their education.
In the eastern city of Zahle, university student Aline Nasrallah, displaced from Nabatieh with her mother, said many students have struggled to maintain their studies amid repeated relocations and unstable living conditions.
Thousands of students from southern Lebanon have experienced disruptions to their education, ranging from transportation difficulties to the psychological burden of prolonged uncertainty. With academic examinations approaching, many hope their circumstances will be taken into consideration.
Despite their different experiences, displaced residents interviewed by Xinhua shared a common belief that returning home depends not only on ending the fighting but also on rebuilding damaged communities and restoring basic services.
For Abdallah and many like him, however, the goal remains simple: to return home. ■
