Displaced people return to south Lebanon as Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire takes hold

A man who is returning to his village waves as he carries his belongings on his car after the ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel began early morning, in Tyre (Hussein Malla/AP)

Long-displaced residents of south Lebanon started returning to their homes amid celebrations hours after a ceasefire between Israel and the Hezbollah militant group took effect early on Wednesday morning.

The ceasefire has brought relief across the tiny Mediterranean nation, coming after days of some of the most intense airstrikes and clashes since the war began, though many wondered if the agreement to stop fighting would hold.