BEIRUT — More than 800,000 people displaced by war in Lebanon have begun returning to their hometowns following a lull in violence amid the Israel-Hezbollah war, the United Nations said in a statement late on Tuesday.

The announcement came as Lebanon and Israel began a new round of US-sponsored talks in Rome aimed at ending the fighting, which are scheduled to run until Thursday. Beirut is seeking Israel’s phased withdrawal from the country’s south, though the Hezbollah terror group has denounced the negotiations as a “humiliation” for Lebanon.

In its statement, the UN humanitarian agency OCHA said “821,077 people had begun the return to their areas of origin as of 30 July.”

It added that more than 360,000 remained displaced, around 26,000 of them in government shelters.

OCHA said damage to water and electricity infrastructure from the war has severely affected access to water for more than 700,000 people in south Lebanon, home to most of those displaced by the war.

Last week, UN human rights chief Volker Türk visited southern Lebanon, where he condemned Israel’s widespread destruction of towns and villages, which he claimed could amount to war crimes.

“Demolition of this type raises huge flags about compliance with international humanitarian law,” Türk said, describing what has happened as a “wholesale destruction” of civilian homes.

Türk, who has also criticized Hezbollah for its attacks on northern Israeli towns, called for an end to Israel’s presence in........

© The Times of Israel