Second wave of Lebanese families returns home from Iraq’s Babil

Shafaq News/ On Saturday, the second batch of Lebanese families departed the Iraqi city of Babil, returning to their homeland over a month after the ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel was announced.

Shafaq News correspondent reported that 150 refugees departed early this morning, explaining, “The operation was coordinated with the Migration Directorate, the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), the Babil Provincial Office, and the Relief Office for Lebanese Guests in the province.”

On January 1, the return convoy for Lebanese families began in Babil. In December, the first flight carrying 150 Lebanese nationals departed from Baghdad International Airport to Beirut, free of charge. A second flight followed two days later, with another 150 Lebanese nationals returning to their country, also free of charge, through Iraqi Airways.

Earlier, the Ministry of Migration announced the return of approximately 2,000 Lebanese nationals from Iraq as part of the first batch, following the ceasefire agreement.

Notably, mutual shelling between Israel and Hezbollah began on October 8, 2023, and escalated into a full-scale war on September 23, 2024, with Israeli hostilities claiming over 3,500 lives, including women and children.

Iraq opened its air and land borders to Lebanese displaced by the Israeli war. On September 25, 2024, the first group of injured and displaced Lebanese arrived at Baghdad Airport, followed by additional groups who were distributed across Najaf, Karbala, Babil, Baghdad, Diyala, Basra, and other provinces.

After the ceasefire was announced on November 27, 2024, Lebanese families who had fled Beirut and its suburbs began returning to their homeland.