ROB SCHMITZ, HOST:
Tens of thousands of Lebanese are returning to the country's south, where they're discovering entire villages that have been destroyed by the fighting with Israel. A ceasefire has halted the fighting between Israeli soldiers and Hezbollah militants, and under the agreement, both sides now have 60 days to withdraw to their respective borders. So civilians are being warned to stay away from certain areas to avoid possible confrontations. With me now is NPR's Lauren Frayer, who visited some of those border areas yesterday and is now in the Lebanese capital, Beirut. Good morning, Lauren.
LAUREN FRAYER, BYLINE: Good morning.
SCHMITZ: So first, we're a day into this ceasefire. I'm curious, were there any confrontations yet?
FRAYER: There have been. Today, the Israeli military issued a map of 10 border villages where it says civilians are prohibited from going even if they're residents going home. But people have been going home, nevertheless, and posting video of themselves with Israeli tanks in their villages. The Israeli military confirms it has fired on people who have gone into this zone. It accuses them of violating the conditions of this ceasefire.
A handful of people have been wounded by either tank or gunfire in different areas and different incidents, including journalists who say they, too, were shot at by Israeli soldiers. Incidentally, there's also been a lot of celebratory gunfire, which in itself is dangerous and could certainly lead to misunderstandings. So there have been several incidents, but so far, they don't appear to be jeopardizing the wider ceasefire agreement.
SCHMITZ: OK. So remind us of what that agreement actually says. What are the terms of the ceasefire?
FRAYER: So this is a 60-day truce. Within that time, Israeli troops have to withdraw from Lebanon and Hezbollah has to withdraw its fighters and weapons from a zone close to the Israeli border. The Lebanese Army is moving in alongside U.N. peacekeepers, and those movements are underway. At one point yesterday, I was at a gas station in southern Lebanon, and someone told me, take a right, not a left, up here because Hezbollah is moving some of its weapons around the corner.
SCHMITZ: Whoa. I mean, what else did you see in southern Lebanon? This is an area that journalists have had difficulty reaching until yesterday because of Israeli airstrikes and ground fighting with Hezbollah.
FRAYER: Yeah. So I drove south from Beirut, where the mood has been jubilant here - people celebrating the ceasefire, piling into cars, heading home, singing victory songs. And as I drove south, the destruction became more and more apparent and the mood became more somber. I saw a lot of buildings burned, destroyed. I saw a crater the size of a swimming pool on a promenade along the Mediterranean coast. And then I headed inland to the city of Nabatieh, where not a single building is still standing on the main street in town. I met a business owner named Hamada Mansour (ph). He showed me what's left of his store called Mansour Nuts (ph). He sells nuts and dried fruit. And here he is, taking me through the destruction.
(SOUNDBITE OF SIFTING THROUGH BROKEN GLASS)
FRAYER: Glass is broken here.
HAMADA MONSOUR: Yes. (Non-English language spoken). Shop, all the shops.
FRAYER: Did a strike hit here?
MONSOUR: (Non-English language spoken).
FRAYER: He said an Israeli airstrike hit right across the street from his shop and destroyed everything for a block in either direction. I also saw a funeral underway in a cemetery in Nabatieh, presumably for what we hope will be one of the last victims of fighting there.
SCHMITZ: What's the situation on the Israeli side of the border?
FRAYER: So while there's been this rush back to homes on the Lebanese side, there has been no similar rush on the Israeli side. The Israeli government says there will be a one- or two-month period of rebuilding before people will return. Many local mayors on the Israeli side opposed this ceasefire agreement. They thought it was a bad deal. They still feel unsafe. They're worried about the resumption of Hezbollah rocket fire or worse.
SCHMITZ: So finally, Lauren, what does a ceasefire with Lebanon mean for the other war that Israel's fighting in Gaza?
FRAYER: I mean, the hope is that all efforts now can go toward getting a similar truce with Hamas in Gaza. Israel is staying hush about reports today that an Egyptian delegation is there trying to kick-start ceasefire talks for Gaza, and we'll be watching those.
SCHMITZ: That's NPR's Lauren Frayer in Beirut. Thanks, Lauren.
FRAYER: You're welcome. Happy Thanksgiving.
SCHMITZ: Happy Thanksgiving to you. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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