Lebanese displaced return amid Israel-Hezbollah talks

More than 800,000 people displaced by the Israel-Hezbollah war have begun returning to their hometowns in Lebanon, according to the United Nations. The UN's OCHA reported that 821,077 people had returned to their areas of origin as of July 30, while over 360,000 remain displaced, including about 26,000 in government shelters. The returns follow a lull in violence since a preliminary US-Iran agreement in June, which included a ceasefire framework for Lebanon, and a separate US-sponsored understanding between Israel and Lebanon. Meanwhile, Lebanon and Israel began a new round of US-sponsored talks in Rome aimed at ending the conflict. The war began in March when Hezbollah fired rockets into Israel in support of Iran, prompting Israeli airstrikes and a ground invasion that Lebanese authorities say killed more than 4,300 people and displaced over a million at its peak. Despite reduced hostilities, Lebanon reports intermittent Israeli strikes, shelling, and demolitions in southern villages, with Israeli troops occupying parts of the area. The UN warns that damage to water and electricity infrastructure has affected access to water for over 700,000 people in southern Lebanon. Negotiations continue over a framework involving Israeli withdrawal, Lebanese army deployment, and Hezbollah's disarmament, which Hezbollah has rejected. UN human rights chief Volker Türk condemned Israel's widespread destruction of villages, which he said could amount to war crimes, while Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz boasted of destroying 24 historic villages, claiming their residents acted on Hezbollah's behalf.