Beirut, June 15 (QNA) - Hundreds of Lebanese residents began returning Monday to their villages and towns in southern Lebanon amid cautious calm following the memorandum of understanding reached between the United States and Iran, which included a commitment to halt military operations and escalation in the region, including Lebanon.

Qatar News Agency (QNA)'s correspondent observed the movement of displaced residents returning from the city of Sidon and other areas to villages and towns in the south, accompanied by security measures and field operations conducted by the Lebanese Army.

Meanwhile, the Lebanese Army called on residents to delay returning to southern border villages and towns and to comply with the instructions of military units deployed in the area in order to ensure their safety from the risk of Israeli violations and attacks.

According to QNA's correspondent, returns have been limited to residents of villages and towns located outside the so-called "Yellow Line," while Israeli occupation forces continue their presence and incursions in a number of southern areas, most recently reaching the town of Kfar Tebnit, located about four kilometers from the city of Nabatieh.

A number of returning residents expressed their joy at returning to their homes and villages.

However, that joy remained mixed with fear of renewed Israeli violations and sorrow over the casualties and human and material losses caused by the aggression, as well as hopes for the withdrawal of Israeli occupation forces from the villages and towns that remain under their control.

In this context, Abu Ali, a displaced man in his seventies who returned to his hometown of Sarafand, told QNA that people are happy to return to their villages and towns, but their hearts are still burdened with grief.

He added that they are happy to return to their homes and land, but at the same time they carry the pain of the martyrs and victims and the scale of destruction caused by the aggression.

He stressed that the joy of returning is great, but it remains mixed with the pain of those lost and what happened to their villages and homes.

For his part, Engineer Bassam Sharafeddine, Head of the Jabal Al Rihan Municipalities Union, told QNA that municipalities have remained in the service of citizens during and after the war despite the significant challenges imposed by the security and humanitarian conditions.

Sharafeddine expressed hope for the full and permanent consolidation of the ceasefire, noting that concerns remain due to repeated Israeli violations and ongoing attacks, which threaten stability and delay the return of normal life to southern villages and towns.

He stressed that the complete Israeli withdrawal from occupied villages and towns remains a fundamental priority, describing it as a necessary step toward establishing security and stability and enabling residents to return safely to their homes and lands.

He added that municipalities bear major responsibilities in addressing the needs of citizens amid the total and partial destruction suffered by many southern villages and towns, as well as the psychological and social consequences left by the war.

He pointed out that the next phase requires coordinated efforts by the state and relevant authorities, stressing that reconstruction, the return of all residents to their villages and homes, and ensuring the conditions necessary for resilience and stability are among the top priorities following the consolidation of the ceasefire and the end of the Israeli occupation of areas that remain occupied. (QNA)