Thousands of Lebanese displaced by the war began the journey back home as a ceasefire took hold on Wednesday, with many celebrating an end to the deadly fighting.
The truce brings to a halt a war that has killed thousands in Lebanon and resulted in mass displacement on both sides of the border.
The war escalated after nearly a year of cross-border fire initiated by Hezbollah in support of its Palestinian ally Hamas, whose attack on Israel in October last year sparked the devastating war in Gaza.
Israel shifted its focus from Gaza to Lebanon in September to secure its northern border from attacks by Hezbollah, and dealt the movement a relentless string of staggering blows.
The Iran-backed group, which has yet to formally comment on the ceasefire, emerges from the war massively weakened but not crushed, and still mourning the killing in an Israeli air raid of its longtime leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah.
Traffic on the road from the Lebanese capital to the main southern city of Sidon was congested since the early hours, as thousands of people headed back to their homes.
AFP journalists saw cars and minibuses packed with people carrying mattresses, suitcases and blankets heading south, with some honking and singing in celebration as Hezbollah supporters portrayed the truce as a victory.
"What we feel is indescribable," said one Lebanese driver on the road to the south. "The people have won!"