Southern Lebanon residents return to ruins as Israeli forces remain nearby

A landscape of devastation. Homes, now mountains of concrete. If they are not destroyed, they are so badly damaged, they are uninhabitable. This is what the people of Zawtar al-Kharbiyi found when they returned to their town in southern Lebanon, part of a U.S.-brokered deal with Israel. A few days ago, it was under Israeli occupation, but Israel is still in control. Drones don't leave the skies. Karim Azzedine tells us he feels humiliated. He shows us what used to be his garden, his trees, his three-story home. He and so many others have returned to find barely anything. Some are choosing to stay, despite the rubble and the lack of basic services. And despite the presence of the Israeli army, only a few hundred meters away. Israel occupies dozens of towns and villages along the border, and has conditioned further withdrawals on the Lebanese army, preventing the return of Hezbollah and dismantling what remains of the group's military assets. Yet residents are still not able to reach some neighborhoods in Zawtar al-Kharbiyi. Beyond the army checkpoint is Israeli-controlled territory, and for people here, that means Israeli troops could re-enter the town under the pretext of security. This is what the Israeli army has done across southern Lebanon. Airstrikes, artillery shelling. But the Israeli military also deliberately blew up homes. We can see bulldozers destroying yet more land in a nearby village. We also hear the sound of explosions, detonations that echo across southern Lebanon. The army spent days clearing the debris to open roads, and carrying out sweeping operations to remove unexploded munitions. With the entry of the town's residents, life is slowly returning to Zawtar al-Kharbiyi. There's resilience, but the road to recovery is likely to be long. According to the agreement, the Lebanese army's ability to be the sole authority here will need to be verified, and that mechanism is still being negotiated. For now, families are waiting for help to restart their lives. Karim Azzedine has nothing left. He shows us the clothes he still hasn't worn. He tells us he has no choice but to collect scrap metal from his destroyed home to sell in order to live. Zaina Khudr, Al Jazeera, Zawtar al-Kharbiyi, Southern Lebanon.