BEIRUT, July 14 (Xinhua) -- On the sandy shores of the southern Lebanese city of Tyre, Joumana Khalil busily arranged umbrellas and chairs, replacing equipment lost during months of conflict.
Around her, children splashed in the Mediterranean, and beach operators readied for summer, signaling that life is slowly returning to southern Lebanon.
"Losing summer would mean losing our annual source of income," Khalil told Xinhua, voicing a hope shared by many families dependent on tourism that a return of visitors could help businesses recover after months of hardship.
From Tyre's coastline to villages near the so-called "Yellow Line," an Israeli-declared buffer zone along the border extending to the Litani River, recovery is visibly underway. Residents are returning home, repairing damaged houses, reopening shops, and trying to rebuild their lives despite sporadic Israeli attacks and lingering security concerns.
According to the International Organization for Migration, as of July 1, more than 640,000 displaced Lebanese had returned to their hometowns since June 3, when Israel and Lebanon agreed to renew a ceasefire.
In Tyre, where neighborhoods and tourist sites sustained heavy damage during the conflict, more than 300 volunteers from civic, scout, educational and health organizations joined earlier this week a campaign to clean the beach under the slogan "Making Tyre More Beautiful and Cleaner."
The city considered the beach's reopening as an important step toward reviving the local economy hammered across tourism, trade and service.
Farther inland, in Nabatieh, Jawad Tarhini cleared rubble from his damaged home while repairing a single room that survived the fighting.
"I am working as quickly as possible to reopen my shop, which was burned during the shelling," Tarhini said.
For many Lebanese locals like Tarhini, reconstruction is not just about bricks and mortar. It means restoring jobs, schools, public services, and a sense of normalcy after months of displacement.
University student Dalal Abu Samra, back to swimming at Tyre's beach, said seeing families return has boosted morale, but lasting recovery hinges on sustained security and funding.
Dalal Abu Omar, who returned to Doueir near Nabatieh, cited estimates that more than 61,000 housing units were damaged or destroyed during the conflict, along with electricity, water, and road networks.
Restaurant owner Adham Al Ali, who renovated his eatery in Nabatieh, acknowledged the financial strain: "Without financial support, rebuilding homes and restarting businesses remains extremely difficult."
According to university lecturer Riad Issa, many residents remain determined to stay in areas near the "Yellow Line" because "for many of them, remaining in their villages is closely linked to preserving their identity and their connection to the land."
The "Yellow Line" Israel established in 2024 holds no legal or international status and does not alter the internationally recognized border, or the Blue Line, but it extends nearly 10 km into Lebanese territory and carves through some 60 villages, casting a shadow of uncertainty, Issa warned.
"We came back because we wanted to reclaim our lives," said Jamal Fayyad, 50, who returned to the village of Abbassiyeh in Tyre. "But rebuilding them will take time and resources that most families simply do not have." ■
