A few residents return to Nabatiyeh after news of tentative deal, find scenes of destruction

(15 Jun 2026) RESTRICTION SUMMARY: ASSOCIATED PRESS Nabatiyeh, Lebanon - 15 June 2026 1. Various of destruction and rubble 2. Two men walking among rubble 3. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Ali Haydar, from Nabatiyeh: “This used to be our home, our childhood home where we have all of our memories. This is where we grew up, and now it’s gone, but God will make up for it. We lost (my nephew) here. When they announced the ceasefire we were the first people to come back to see the city, at the end of the day this is our country and we must return even if it’s destroyed. We will return to rubble and sand, it’s better than being displaced.” 4. Various of destruction and rubble 5. Two men walking among rubble 6. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Ali Farran, from Nabatiyeh: “As you can see, Nabatiyeh is in a sad state, it makes us want to cry over it, but at the same time we are proud, we are very proud that we came back with our dignity.” 7. Various of destruction and rubble 8. Bulldozer clearing the rubble 9. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Ahmad Midani, from Nabatiyeh: “I came back alone because my family is all over the place. My wife, my kids, and myself are all in different places. But now I came back.” 10. Various of destruction and rubble STORYLINE: A handful of people walked amongst the rubble in Nabatiyeh. They were the first to return to the southern Lebanese city after it was announced last night that a tentative deal has been reached to end the war in Iran, which includes Lebanon. The United States and Iran reached an initial agreement early Monday to open the strait of Hormuz and further extend a shaky ceasefire in the Iran war. “As you can see, Nabatiyeh is in a sad state, it makes us want to cry over it," Nabatiyeh resident Ali Farran said. "But at the same time we are proud, we are very proud that we came back with our dignity.” Details of the deal were not immediately released and Iran signaled implementation would not start until the signing, which key mediator Pakistan said would occur Friday in Switzerland. It could provide a way to end a war that killed thousands across the Middle East, including the top leaders of Iran’s theocracy, and sparked a historic energy crisis. Pakistan first announced the deal, with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif saying “both sides have declared the immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon.” It remains unclear whether Israel, which relies on the U.S. but has launched in wars against its enemies since Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel, agreed to that term. But the memorandum of understanding over the war already faced intense challenges. Israel’s continued hostilities with the Iranian-backed militia Hezbollah in Lebanon, where Israel bombed Beirut’s southern suburbs Sunday, nearly derailed the negotiations. Israel, which has insisted it be allowed a freehand to pursue Hezbollah as it occupies southern Lebanon and has extended its military operations into areas its forces haven’t been in a quarter century, did not immediately comment. Israel joined the U.S. in launching the war on Feb. 28. =========================================================== Clients are reminded to adhere to all listed restrictions and to check the terms of their licence agreements. For further assistance, please contact the AP Archive on: Tel +44(0)2074827482 Email: [email protected]. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...