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Photos show displaced Lebanese returning to villages after Israel and Hezbollah ceasefire

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Photos show displaced Lebanese returning to villages after Israel and Hezbollah ceasefire
News

News

Photos show displaced Lebanese returning to villages after Israel and Hezbollah ceasefire

2026-04-20 08:15 Last Updated At:08:21

People displaced by fighting between Hezbollah and Israel return to their villages in Lebanon following a ceasefire that went into effect Friday.

This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.

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Displaced people walk across a destroyed bridge as they return to their villages, following a ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel, in Tayr Felsay village, southern Lebanon, Sunday, April 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)

Displaced people walk across a destroyed bridge as they return to their villages, following a ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel, in Tayr Felsay village, southern Lebanon, Sunday, April 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)

Mahmoud Ghadboun retrieves some of his belongings from a building destroyed in a previous Israeli airstrike, during a ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel in the Hosh neighborhood of Tyre, southern Lebanon, on Sunday, April 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)

Mahmoud Ghadboun retrieves some of his belongings from a building destroyed in a previous Israeli airstrike, during a ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel in the Hosh neighborhood of Tyre, southern Lebanon, on Sunday, April 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)

Residents inspect damage at the site of buildings destroyed in Israeli airstrikes, in Jibchit, southern Lebanon, Friday, April 17, 2026, following a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Residents inspect damage at the site of buildings destroyed in Israeli airstrikes, in Jibchit, southern Lebanon, Friday, April 17, 2026, following a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

An ambulance belonging to Hezbollah's health unit lies amid the rubble of a medical center destroyed in an Israeli airstrike in Jibchit, southern Lebanon, Friday, April 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

An ambulance belonging to Hezbollah's health unit lies amid the rubble of a medical center destroyed in an Israeli airstrike in Jibchit, southern Lebanon, Friday, April 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Barber Mohammad Mehdi cuts the hair of his client Ayman Al Zein inside his shop, which was damaged in an Israeli airstrike that also damaged Al Zein's shop, in Dahiyeh, Beirut's southern suburbs, Lebanon, Saturday, April 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Barber Mohammad Mehdi cuts the hair of his client Ayman Al Zein inside his shop, which was damaged in an Israeli airstrike that also damaged Al Zein's shop, in Dahiyeh, Beirut's southern suburbs, Lebanon, Saturday, April 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Lebanese Rida Hijazi checks his house damaged in an Israeli airstrike on Thursday, in the city of Tyre, southern Lebanon, Saturday, April 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)

Lebanese Rida Hijazi checks his house damaged in an Israeli airstrike on Thursday, in the city of Tyre, southern Lebanon, Saturday, April 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)

Assem Abdallah reacts as he enters his friend apartment destroyed in a Israeli airstrike in Kfar Roumman, southern Lebanon, Friday, April 17, 2026, following a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Assem Abdallah reacts as he enters his friend apartment destroyed in a Israeli airstrike in Kfar Roumman, southern Lebanon, Friday, April 17, 2026, following a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

An Israeli soldier orders drinks from a coffee shop in northern Israel, on the border with Lebanon following a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, Friday, April 17, 2026. Signage in Hebrew reads, "Coffee on the border."(AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)

An Israeli soldier orders drinks from a coffee shop in northern Israel, on the border with Lebanon following a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, Friday, April 17, 2026. Signage in Hebrew reads, "Coffee on the border."(AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)

Rescuers search for victims in the rubble of a destroyed building that was struck in Israeli airstrikes in the city of Tyre, south Lebanon, Friday, April 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)

Rescuers search for victims in the rubble of a destroyed building that was struck in Israeli airstrikes in the city of Tyre, south Lebanon, Friday, April 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)

A displaced woman holding her dog sits in her tent in Beirut, Lebanon, awaiting an official order from Hezbollah to return to her home in south Lebanon following a ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel, Friday, April 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

A displaced woman holding her dog sits in her tent in Beirut, Lebanon, awaiting an official order from Hezbollah to return to her home in south Lebanon following a ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel, Friday, April 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

A Hezbollah health unit member Ali Fahos places portraits of his colleagues, killed during the previous war with Israel, next to a building destroyed in an Israeli airstrike in Jibchit, southern Lebanon, Friday, April 17, 2026, following a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

A Hezbollah health unit member Ali Fahos places portraits of his colleagues, killed during the previous war with Israel, next to a building destroyed in an Israeli airstrike in Jibchit, southern Lebanon, Friday, April 17, 2026, following a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Assem Abdallah reacts as he enters his friend apartment destroyed in a Israeli airstrike in Kfar Roumman, southern Lebanon, Friday, April 17, 2026, following a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Assem Abdallah reacts as he enters his friend apartment destroyed in a Israeli airstrike in Kfar Roumman, southern Lebanon, Friday, April 17, 2026, following a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Residents drive past the rubble of destroyed buildings in Dahiyeh, Beirut's southern suburbs, Lebanon, Friday, April 17, 2026, following a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)

Residents drive past the rubble of destroyed buildings in Dahiyeh, Beirut's southern suburbs, Lebanon, Friday, April 17, 2026, following a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)

A crow sits on a the head of a mannequin with military clothing used as a decoy in northern Israel, on the border with Lebanon following a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, Friday, April 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)

A crow sits on a the head of a mannequin with military clothing used as a decoy in northern Israel, on the border with Lebanon following a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, Friday, April 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)

Residents pass the rubble of destroyed buildings, where a Hezbollah flag and an image of its late leader Hassan Nasrallah are placed, in Dahiyeh, Beirut's southern suburbs, Lebanon, Friday, April 17, 2026, following a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)

Residents pass the rubble of destroyed buildings, where a Hezbollah flag and an image of its late leader Hassan Nasrallah are placed, in Dahiyeh, Beirut's southern suburbs, Lebanon, Friday, April 17, 2026, following a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)

Municipal workers clean the streets in Dahiyeh, Beirut's southern suburbs, Lebanon, Friday, April 17, 2026, following a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)

Municipal workers clean the streets in Dahiyeh, Beirut's southern suburbs, Lebanon, Friday, April 17, 2026, following a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)

A woman, no name given, enters her house heavily damaged in a Israeli airstrike in Kfar Roumman, southern Lebanon, Friday, April 17, 2026, following a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

A woman, no name given, enters her house heavily damaged in a Israeli airstrike in Kfar Roumman, southern Lebanon, Friday, April 17, 2026, following a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Mahmoud Sahmarani, 33, rests in a hospital bed as he is comforted by his mother and aunt after being injured in an Israeli airstrike, at Al-Najda Al-Shaabiya Hospital, in Nabatiyeh, southern Lebanon, Friday, April 17, 2026, following a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Mahmoud Sahmarani, 33, rests in a hospital bed as he is comforted by his mother and aunt after being injured in an Israeli airstrike, at Al-Najda Al-Shaabiya Hospital, in Nabatiyeh, southern Lebanon, Friday, April 17, 2026, following a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Displaced residents wave Hezbollah flags, including one bearing a picture of its leader, Naim Qassem, as they pass rubble of destroyed buildings in Dahiyeh, Beirut's southern suburbs, Lebanon, Friday, April 17, 2026, following a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)

Displaced residents wave Hezbollah flags, including one bearing a picture of its leader, Naim Qassem, as they pass rubble of destroyed buildings in Dahiyeh, Beirut's southern suburbs, Lebanon, Friday, April 17, 2026, following a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)

Displaced residents wave a flag with the image of Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem as they return to their villages following a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, in Zefta, southern Lebanon, Friday, April 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Displaced residents wave a flag with the image of Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem as they return to their villages following a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, in Zefta, southern Lebanon, Friday, April 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Displaced residents drive back to their villages following a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, in Jiyeh, near Saida, southern Lebanon, Friday, April 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Displaced residents drive back to their villages following a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, in Jiyeh, near Saida, southern Lebanon, Friday, April 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Assem Abdallah reacts as he enters his friend apartment destroyed in a Israeli airstrike in Kfar Roumman, southern Lebanon, Friday, April 17, 2026, following a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Assem Abdallah reacts as he enters his friend apartment destroyed in a Israeli airstrike in Kfar Roumman, southern Lebanon, Friday, April 17, 2026, following a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Two girls chant slogans as one holds an image of the late Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Dahiyeh, Beirut's southern suburbs, Lebanon, Friday, April 17, 2026, following a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)

Two girls chant slogans as one holds an image of the late Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Dahiyeh, Beirut's southern suburbs, Lebanon, Friday, April 17, 2026, following a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)

A locals resident walks among debris inside a mosque destroyed in an Israeli airstrike in Jibchit, southern Lebanon, Friday, April 17, 2026, following a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

A locals resident walks among debris inside a mosque destroyed in an Israeli airstrike in Jibchit, southern Lebanon, Friday, April 17, 2026, following a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

A displaced man lies over belongings on a mini pickup and checks his mobile phone, in Qasmiyeh near Tyre city, south Lebanon, as he returns with his family to their village following a ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel, Friday, April 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)

A displaced man lies over belongings on a mini pickup and checks his mobile phone, in Qasmiyeh near Tyre city, south Lebanon, as he returns with his family to their village following a ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel, Friday, April 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)

Locals residents walk among vehicles burned in an Israeli airstrike in Jibchit, southern Lebanon, Friday, April 17, 2026, following a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Locals residents walk among vehicles burned in an Israeli airstrike in Jibchit, southern Lebanon, Friday, April 17, 2026, following a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

A displaced man flashes victory sign and holds a crutch with a poster showing late Hezbollah leaders Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah and Hashem Safieddine, with writing that reads "on the pledge, we remain" as he returns to his village following a ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel, in Qasmiyeh near the city of Tyre, south Lebanon, Friday, April 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)

A displaced man flashes victory sign and holds a crutch with a poster showing late Hezbollah leaders Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah and Hashem Safieddine, with writing that reads "on the pledge, we remain" as he returns to his village following a ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel, in Qasmiyeh near the city of Tyre, south Lebanon, Friday, April 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)

A displaced man waves the Iranian flag, as he returns with his family to their village following a ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel, in Qasmiyeh near Tyre city, south Lebanon, Friday, April 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)

A displaced man waves the Iranian flag, as he returns with his family to their village following a ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel, in Qasmiyeh near Tyre city, south Lebanon, Friday, April 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)

Displaced people flash victory signs in Qasmiyeh near Tyre city, south Lebanon, as they return to their village following a ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel, Friday, April 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)

Displaced people flash victory signs in Qasmiyeh near Tyre city, south Lebanon, as they return to their village following a ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel, Friday, April 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)

People walk among debris inside a mosque destroyed in an Israeli airstrike in Jibchit, southern Lebanon, Friday, April 17, 2026, following a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

People walk among debris inside a mosque destroyed in an Israeli airstrike in Jibchit, southern Lebanon, Friday, April 17, 2026, following a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Displaced residents drive back to their villages as locals wave Hezbollah flags following a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, in Zefta, southern Lebanon, Friday, April 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Displaced residents drive back to their villages as locals wave Hezbollah flags following a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, in Zefta, southern Lebanon, Friday, April 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Locals residents stand among debris and vehicles destroyed in an Israeli airstrike in Jibchit, southern Lebanon, Friday, April 17, 2026, following a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Locals residents stand among debris and vehicles destroyed in an Israeli airstrike in Jibchit, southern Lebanon, Friday, April 17, 2026, following a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Displaced people returning to their villages following a ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel, cross the destroyed Qasmiyeh bridge near Tyre city, south Lebanon, Friday, April 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)

Displaced people returning to their villages following a ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel, cross the destroyed Qasmiyeh bridge near Tyre city, south Lebanon, Friday, April 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)

A displaced man gestures lying over belongings on a mini pickup, in Qasmiyeh near Tyre city, south Lebanon, as he returns with his family to their village following a ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel, Friday, April 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)

A displaced man gestures lying over belongings on a mini pickup, in Qasmiyeh near Tyre city, south Lebanon, as he returns with his family to their village following a ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel, Friday, April 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)

Displaced residents drive a motorcycle back to their villages following a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, in Saida, Lebanon, Friday, April 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Displaced residents drive a motorcycle back to their villages following a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, in Saida, Lebanon, Friday, April 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

A man rides a horse past the site of buildings destroyed in an Israeli airstrike, in Jibchit, southern Lebanon, Friday, April 17, 2026, following a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

A man rides a horse past the site of buildings destroyed in an Israeli airstrike, in Jibchit, southern Lebanon, Friday, April 17, 2026, following a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Tracer rounds illuminate the night sky as people fire live ammunition and fireworks into the air following a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, in Beirut, Lebanon, early Friday, April 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Tracer rounds illuminate the night sky as people fire live ammunition and fireworks into the air following a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, in Beirut, Lebanon, early Friday, April 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Locals drive past the site of a building destroyed in an Israeli airstrike, in Jibchit, southern Lebanon, Friday, April 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Locals drive past the site of a building destroyed in an Israeli airstrike, in Jibchit, southern Lebanon, Friday, April 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

A Lebanese soldier stands as displaced people in cars queue up to cross a destroyed bridge in Qasmiyeh near Tyre city, south Lebanon, as they return to their villages following a ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel, Friday, April 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)

A Lebanese soldier stands as displaced people in cars queue up to cross a destroyed bridge in Qasmiyeh near Tyre city, south Lebanon, as they return to their villages following a ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel, Friday, April 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)

A displaced man with his family's belongings on a scooter prepares to return home following a ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel in Beirut, Lebanon, Friday, April 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

A displaced man with his family's belongings on a scooter prepares to return home following a ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel in Beirut, Lebanon, Friday, April 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

People wave Hezbollah flags and an image of late Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, in Zefta, southern Lebanon, Friday, April 17, 2026, as displaced residents drive back to their villages following a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

People wave Hezbollah flags and an image of late Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, in Zefta, southern Lebanon, Friday, April 17, 2026, as displaced residents drive back to their villages following a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Displaced people walk across a destroyed bridge as they return to their villages, following a ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel, in Tayr Felsay village, southern Lebanon, Sunday, April 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)

Displaced people walk across a destroyed bridge as they return to their villages, following a ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel, in Tayr Felsay village, southern Lebanon, Sunday, April 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)

Mahmoud Ghadboun retrieves some of his belongings from a building destroyed in a previous Israeli airstrike, during a ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel in the Hosh neighborhood of Tyre, southern Lebanon, on Sunday, April 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)

Mahmoud Ghadboun retrieves some of his belongings from a building destroyed in a previous Israeli airstrike, during a ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel in the Hosh neighborhood of Tyre, southern Lebanon, on Sunday, April 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)

Residents inspect damage at the site of buildings destroyed in Israeli airstrikes, in Jibchit, southern Lebanon, Friday, April 17, 2026, following a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Residents inspect damage at the site of buildings destroyed in Israeli airstrikes, in Jibchit, southern Lebanon, Friday, April 17, 2026, following a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

An ambulance belonging to Hezbollah's health unit lies amid the rubble of a medical center destroyed in an Israeli airstrike in Jibchit, southern Lebanon, Friday, April 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

An ambulance belonging to Hezbollah's health unit lies amid the rubble of a medical center destroyed in an Israeli airstrike in Jibchit, southern Lebanon, Friday, April 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Barber Mohammad Mehdi cuts the hair of his client Ayman Al Zein inside his shop, which was damaged in an Israeli airstrike that also damaged Al Zein's shop, in Dahiyeh, Beirut's southern suburbs, Lebanon, Saturday, April 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Barber Mohammad Mehdi cuts the hair of his client Ayman Al Zein inside his shop, which was damaged in an Israeli airstrike that also damaged Al Zein's shop, in Dahiyeh, Beirut's southern suburbs, Lebanon, Saturday, April 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Lebanese Rida Hijazi checks his house damaged in an Israeli airstrike on Thursday, in the city of Tyre, southern Lebanon, Saturday, April 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)

Lebanese Rida Hijazi checks his house damaged in an Israeli airstrike on Thursday, in the city of Tyre, southern Lebanon, Saturday, April 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)

Assem Abdallah reacts as he enters his friend apartment destroyed in a Israeli airstrike in Kfar Roumman, southern Lebanon, Friday, April 17, 2026, following a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Assem Abdallah reacts as he enters his friend apartment destroyed in a Israeli airstrike in Kfar Roumman, southern Lebanon, Friday, April 17, 2026, following a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

An Israeli soldier orders drinks from a coffee shop in northern Israel, on the border with Lebanon following a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, Friday, April 17, 2026. Signage in Hebrew reads, "Coffee on the border."(AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)

An Israeli soldier orders drinks from a coffee shop in northern Israel, on the border with Lebanon following a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, Friday, April 17, 2026. Signage in Hebrew reads, "Coffee on the border."(AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)

Rescuers search for victims in the rubble of a destroyed building that was struck in Israeli airstrikes in the city of Tyre, south Lebanon, Friday, April 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)

Rescuers search for victims in the rubble of a destroyed building that was struck in Israeli airstrikes in the city of Tyre, south Lebanon, Friday, April 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)

A displaced woman holding her dog sits in her tent in Beirut, Lebanon, awaiting an official order from Hezbollah to return to her home in south Lebanon following a ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel, Friday, April 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

A displaced woman holding her dog sits in her tent in Beirut, Lebanon, awaiting an official order from Hezbollah to return to her home in south Lebanon following a ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel, Friday, April 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

A Hezbollah health unit member Ali Fahos places portraits of his colleagues, killed during the previous war with Israel, next to a building destroyed in an Israeli airstrike in Jibchit, southern Lebanon, Friday, April 17, 2026, following a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

A Hezbollah health unit member Ali Fahos places portraits of his colleagues, killed during the previous war with Israel, next to a building destroyed in an Israeli airstrike in Jibchit, southern Lebanon, Friday, April 17, 2026, following a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Assem Abdallah reacts as he enters his friend apartment destroyed in a Israeli airstrike in Kfar Roumman, southern Lebanon, Friday, April 17, 2026, following a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Assem Abdallah reacts as he enters his friend apartment destroyed in a Israeli airstrike in Kfar Roumman, southern Lebanon, Friday, April 17, 2026, following a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Residents drive past the rubble of destroyed buildings in Dahiyeh, Beirut's southern suburbs, Lebanon, Friday, April 17, 2026, following a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)

Residents drive past the rubble of destroyed buildings in Dahiyeh, Beirut's southern suburbs, Lebanon, Friday, April 17, 2026, following a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)

A crow sits on a the head of a mannequin with military clothing used as a decoy in northern Israel, on the border with Lebanon following a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, Friday, April 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)

A crow sits on a the head of a mannequin with military clothing used as a decoy in northern Israel, on the border with Lebanon following a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, Friday, April 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)

Residents pass the rubble of destroyed buildings, where a Hezbollah flag and an image of its late leader Hassan Nasrallah are placed, in Dahiyeh, Beirut's southern suburbs, Lebanon, Friday, April 17, 2026, following a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)

Residents pass the rubble of destroyed buildings, where a Hezbollah flag and an image of its late leader Hassan Nasrallah are placed, in Dahiyeh, Beirut's southern suburbs, Lebanon, Friday, April 17, 2026, following a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)

Municipal workers clean the streets in Dahiyeh, Beirut's southern suburbs, Lebanon, Friday, April 17, 2026, following a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)

Municipal workers clean the streets in Dahiyeh, Beirut's southern suburbs, Lebanon, Friday, April 17, 2026, following a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)

A woman, no name given, enters her house heavily damaged in a Israeli airstrike in Kfar Roumman, southern Lebanon, Friday, April 17, 2026, following a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

A woman, no name given, enters her house heavily damaged in a Israeli airstrike in Kfar Roumman, southern Lebanon, Friday, April 17, 2026, following a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Mahmoud Sahmarani, 33, rests in a hospital bed as he is comforted by his mother and aunt after being injured in an Israeli airstrike, at Al-Najda Al-Shaabiya Hospital, in Nabatiyeh, southern Lebanon, Friday, April 17, 2026, following a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Mahmoud Sahmarani, 33, rests in a hospital bed as he is comforted by his mother and aunt after being injured in an Israeli airstrike, at Al-Najda Al-Shaabiya Hospital, in Nabatiyeh, southern Lebanon, Friday, April 17, 2026, following a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Displaced residents wave Hezbollah flags, including one bearing a picture of its leader, Naim Qassem, as they pass rubble of destroyed buildings in Dahiyeh, Beirut's southern suburbs, Lebanon, Friday, April 17, 2026, following a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)

Displaced residents wave Hezbollah flags, including one bearing a picture of its leader, Naim Qassem, as they pass rubble of destroyed buildings in Dahiyeh, Beirut's southern suburbs, Lebanon, Friday, April 17, 2026, following a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)

Displaced residents wave a flag with the image of Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem as they return to their villages following a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, in Zefta, southern Lebanon, Friday, April 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Displaced residents wave a flag with the image of Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem as they return to their villages following a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, in Zefta, southern Lebanon, Friday, April 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Displaced residents drive back to their villages following a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, in Jiyeh, near Saida, southern Lebanon, Friday, April 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Displaced residents drive back to their villages following a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, in Jiyeh, near Saida, southern Lebanon, Friday, April 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Assem Abdallah reacts as he enters his friend apartment destroyed in a Israeli airstrike in Kfar Roumman, southern Lebanon, Friday, April 17, 2026, following a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Assem Abdallah reacts as he enters his friend apartment destroyed in a Israeli airstrike in Kfar Roumman, southern Lebanon, Friday, April 17, 2026, following a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Two girls chant slogans as one holds an image of the late Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Dahiyeh, Beirut's southern suburbs, Lebanon, Friday, April 17, 2026, following a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)

Two girls chant slogans as one holds an image of the late Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Dahiyeh, Beirut's southern suburbs, Lebanon, Friday, April 17, 2026, following a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)

A locals resident walks among debris inside a mosque destroyed in an Israeli airstrike in Jibchit, southern Lebanon, Friday, April 17, 2026, following a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

A locals resident walks among debris inside a mosque destroyed in an Israeli airstrike in Jibchit, southern Lebanon, Friday, April 17, 2026, following a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

A displaced man lies over belongings on a mini pickup and checks his mobile phone, in Qasmiyeh near Tyre city, south Lebanon, as he returns with his family to their village following a ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel, Friday, April 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)

A displaced man lies over belongings on a mini pickup and checks his mobile phone, in Qasmiyeh near Tyre city, south Lebanon, as he returns with his family to their village following a ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel, Friday, April 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)

Locals residents walk among vehicles burned in an Israeli airstrike in Jibchit, southern Lebanon, Friday, April 17, 2026, following a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Locals residents walk among vehicles burned in an Israeli airstrike in Jibchit, southern Lebanon, Friday, April 17, 2026, following a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

A displaced man flashes victory sign and holds a crutch with a poster showing late Hezbollah leaders Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah and Hashem Safieddine, with writing that reads "on the pledge, we remain" as he returns to his village following a ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel, in Qasmiyeh near the city of Tyre, south Lebanon, Friday, April 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)

A displaced man flashes victory sign and holds a crutch with a poster showing late Hezbollah leaders Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah and Hashem Safieddine, with writing that reads "on the pledge, we remain" as he returns to his village following a ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel, in Qasmiyeh near the city of Tyre, south Lebanon, Friday, April 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)

A displaced man waves the Iranian flag, as he returns with his family to their village following a ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel, in Qasmiyeh near Tyre city, south Lebanon, Friday, April 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)

A displaced man waves the Iranian flag, as he returns with his family to their village following a ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel, in Qasmiyeh near Tyre city, south Lebanon, Friday, April 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)

Displaced people flash victory signs in Qasmiyeh near Tyre city, south Lebanon, as they return to their village following a ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel, Friday, April 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)

Displaced people flash victory signs in Qasmiyeh near Tyre city, south Lebanon, as they return to their village following a ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel, Friday, April 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)

People walk among debris inside a mosque destroyed in an Israeli airstrike in Jibchit, southern Lebanon, Friday, April 17, 2026, following a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

People walk among debris inside a mosque destroyed in an Israeli airstrike in Jibchit, southern Lebanon, Friday, April 17, 2026, following a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Displaced residents drive back to their villages as locals wave Hezbollah flags following a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, in Zefta, southern Lebanon, Friday, April 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Displaced residents drive back to their villages as locals wave Hezbollah flags following a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, in Zefta, southern Lebanon, Friday, April 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Locals residents stand among debris and vehicles destroyed in an Israeli airstrike in Jibchit, southern Lebanon, Friday, April 17, 2026, following a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Locals residents stand among debris and vehicles destroyed in an Israeli airstrike in Jibchit, southern Lebanon, Friday, April 17, 2026, following a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Displaced people returning to their villages following a ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel, cross the destroyed Qasmiyeh bridge near Tyre city, south Lebanon, Friday, April 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)

Displaced people returning to their villages following a ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel, cross the destroyed Qasmiyeh bridge near Tyre city, south Lebanon, Friday, April 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)

A displaced man gestures lying over belongings on a mini pickup, in Qasmiyeh near Tyre city, south Lebanon, as he returns with his family to their village following a ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel, Friday, April 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)

A displaced man gestures lying over belongings on a mini pickup, in Qasmiyeh near Tyre city, south Lebanon, as he returns with his family to their village following a ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel, Friday, April 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)

Displaced residents drive a motorcycle back to their villages following a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, in Saida, Lebanon, Friday, April 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Displaced residents drive a motorcycle back to their villages following a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, in Saida, Lebanon, Friday, April 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

A man rides a horse past the site of buildings destroyed in an Israeli airstrike, in Jibchit, southern Lebanon, Friday, April 17, 2026, following a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

A man rides a horse past the site of buildings destroyed in an Israeli airstrike, in Jibchit, southern Lebanon, Friday, April 17, 2026, following a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Tracer rounds illuminate the night sky as people fire live ammunition and fireworks into the air following a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, in Beirut, Lebanon, early Friday, April 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Tracer rounds illuminate the night sky as people fire live ammunition and fireworks into the air following a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, in Beirut, Lebanon, early Friday, April 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Locals drive past the site of a building destroyed in an Israeli airstrike, in Jibchit, southern Lebanon, Friday, April 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Locals drive past the site of a building destroyed in an Israeli airstrike, in Jibchit, southern Lebanon, Friday, April 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

A Lebanese soldier stands as displaced people in cars queue up to cross a destroyed bridge in Qasmiyeh near Tyre city, south Lebanon, as they return to their villages following a ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel, Friday, April 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)

A Lebanese soldier stands as displaced people in cars queue up to cross a destroyed bridge in Qasmiyeh near Tyre city, south Lebanon, as they return to their villages following a ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel, Friday, April 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)

A displaced man with his family's belongings on a scooter prepares to return home following a ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel in Beirut, Lebanon, Friday, April 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

A displaced man with his family's belongings on a scooter prepares to return home following a ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel in Beirut, Lebanon, Friday, April 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

People wave Hezbollah flags and an image of late Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, in Zefta, southern Lebanon, Friday, April 17, 2026, as displaced residents drive back to their villages following a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

People wave Hezbollah flags and an image of late Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, in Zefta, southern Lebanon, Friday, April 17, 2026, as displaced residents drive back to their villages following a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Standing behind a downtown bar, Evan Duke smiled when he thought about no longer paying federal income tax on the hundreds of dollars in tips he earns on a busy night pouring beers and mixing drinks.

But the 30-year-old said he cannot afford health insurance and worries about how higher costs for rent, food and fuel are affecting him and the patrons who slip cash into the jar at Pearl & Peril.

“It’s kind of messy right now,” Duke said.

Duke's dilemma is an economic microcosm of Donald Trump's second presidency. Although the Republican president has tried to put more money in middle-class pockets with tax cuts, the benefits are being eroded as prices keep rising, especially during the war with Iran. The latest numbers, released Tuesday, showed the rate of inflation continued to climb.

It's a financial tug-of-war shaping people’s lives as they consider the upcoming midterm elections, which will determine control of Congress during the final two years of Trump's tenure.

All of these economic issues have been center stage in the battleground state of North Carolina and its U.S. Senate race. Michael Whatley, the Republican nominee and former national party chairman, is championing Trump's tax overhaul. Roy Cooper, the Democratic candidate and a former governor, is panning Trump's management of the U.S. economy.

Duke, a registered independent, isn't sure who he'll support. Like a lot of Americans who vote with their wallets, he expects to decide based on “how things are going at the time.”

“I’ve got to do more research,” he said.

The dividing line is what Trump called “the one big beautiful bill,” his signature legislation that cuts taxes but also reduces funding for public programs like Medicaid.

When Whatley recently appeared with Vice President JD Vance in Rocky Mount, he said the midterm elections were about “protecting no tax on tips, no tax on overtime, no tax on Social Security.”

Some of the claims were an exaggeration. For example, the legislation does not entirely eliminate federal levies on overtime. But his remarks showed how much Republicans want voters to see the legislation as a “working families tax cut,” as they've taken to calling it.

“I don’t know about you, but I sure trust you to spend your money better than a federal government in D.C.,” Whatley said.

Tracy Brill, 62, a Trump supporter in the audience, said she was willing to cope with rising costs due to the war.

“The course he’s taken is spot on,” she said, adding that “I believe the other presidents didn’t do what they should have done.”

Cooper and Democrats have focused their pitch around what they call the “affordability crisis.” They emphasize health care costs and Republicans’ refusal to extend expanded subsidies for Affordable Care Act premiums. And they highlight housing and utility prices, hikes on consumer goods affected by Trump’s tariffs, and ripple effects from the president’s Iran war on everything from fuel and farmer’s fertilizer costs to groceries.

“It seems like everything that Washington is doing is driving up costs across the board,” Cooper said in Greensboro.

It's a convenient turnabout for Democrats. President Joe Biden and his party had previously faced blame for inflation, which Trump capitalized on in his comeback campaign, but now Republicans shoulder the brunt of voters' angst.

Republicans have a larger margin in the U.S. Senate than in the U.S. House, but Democrats believe economic dissatisfaction gives them a shot at full control of Congress. North Carolina is a top target along with Maine, Ohio and Alaska. There are even hopes that Iowa and Texas could be competitive, too.

Democrats have long struggled to win Senate seats in North Carolina, but they believe they have a better shot this year because Republican incumbent Thom Tillis is retiring.

Cooper also enjoys a centrist reputation and has won six statewide elections already, including two gubernatorial contests in cycles when Trump carried North Carolina. Whatley has deep ties in Republican circles as a former lobbyist and longtime party leader, but he’s not yet well known to voters.

Phyllis Aycock, a 79-year-old antiques store owner in Nash County, is leaning toward Cooper even after voting for Trump three times. She said she regrets her most recent vote for the president.

“It’s the whole trickle-down effect,” Aycock said, explaining that economic uncertainty and inflation, including premium hikes on health insurance that supplements her Medicare and cancels out Social Security cost-of-living adjustments and any tax breaks she's received during Trump’s tenure.

She said she wonders whether Trump “even thinks about the cause-and-effect of what he does or what he doesn’t do, how it directly affects us, and when I say ‘us,’ I definitely mean the middle-class, lower-class working people, the blue collar, the ones that pay the taxes.”

“It just seems like there’s no relief for us, like it’s all for the guy who has everything already,” she said.

Aycock and her son, Michael, said they’ve seen foot traffic and purchases at their store decrease, which sits a few doors down from the law office where Cooper and his father once practiced. The elder Aycock said she doesn’t know Cooper personally but has voted for him before and would consider doing so again.

As for Whatley, she’s heard only fealty to Trump. She tightened her lips, then said, “I’m worried he’s just a yes man. We’ve got enough of those.”

During Cooper's second term as governor, he convinced the Republican-run Legislature to expand Medicaid — a government insurance program for low-income or disabled adults and children in poor or working-class households — under President Barack Obama's Affordable Care Act. Cooper talks about that program alongside his criticism of Republicans' refusal to extend pandemic-era subsidies for private insurance plans.

The issue has drawn supporters like Emily Miller, a 43-year-old from Greensboro who volunteers on various voter turnout efforts that benefit Democrats.

“Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act absolutely have saved my life,” said Miller, who has physical health problems. As a Kentucky and then North Carolina resident, she leaned on the 2010 law’s benefits between her time as a public schoolteacher and her return to the workforce as an education consultant.

When she didn't have a full-time job, Miller said, she required expensive medical care, including some inpatient mental health services. She said her part-time jobs at the time would not have covered private insurance costs, much less direct market rates for her treatment.

“I’m very grateful I’ve gotten back to a place where I’ve got a career again,” Miller said, with employer-based coverage. “I’m an example of exactly what this system is supposed to do. It was a bridge. And so many people, people who are working, are struggling like that.”

Miller is also skeptical that people will benefit from Trump's legislation to cut taxes on overtime pay.

“I had an overtime-eligible job,” she said, “and I had bosses who would send us home before we got those extra hours.”

Yet for Cooper to win, he also needs to energize apathetic voters, including some Democrats.

James Outlaw, a 60-year-old in rural Bertie County, said he'll probably vote in November but doesn't see things improving regardless of the outcome.

“It won’t get no better,” he said, as he filled in his lotto numbers at a local convenience store. “Never does.”

Back behind the bar in downtown Raleigh, Duke looked forward to the coming weekend, which would bring thirstier crowds and, hopefully, more tips.

He said he appreciates getting “a few thousand dollars” from the tax breaks, and he said he’d “at least look at” Whatley, the Republican candidate. But he also thinks of the back-of-the-house workers who don't earn tips and won't benefit from it.

As for his lack of health insurance, Duke said that's not enough to guarantee his vote for Cooper, even as he remembered the Democratic nominee as “a pretty good governor.”

“I’m healthy, and I can pay rent,” he said.

That may be the outlook Republicans need as they urge voters to be patient. While speaking in Rocky Mount, Vance assured the audience that Trump wouldn’t let the economy languish.

“He constantly is pressing on the gas,” Vance said. “He wants us to do more.”

President Donald Trump speaks at an event about maternal healthcare, Monday, May 11, 2026, in the Oval Office of the White House, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

President Donald Trump speaks at an event about maternal healthcare, Monday, May 11, 2026, in the Oval Office of the White House, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

FILE - North Carolina Republican candidate for Senate Michael Whatley addresses a crowd, March 13, 2026, in Rocky Mount, N.C. (AP Photo/Chris Seward, File)

FILE - North Carolina Republican candidate for Senate Michael Whatley addresses a crowd, March 13, 2026, in Rocky Mount, N.C. (AP Photo/Chris Seward, File)

Democratic Senate candidate Roy Cooper speaks during a March 9, 2026, campaign stop in Greensboro, N.C. (AP Photo/Bill Barrow)

Democratic Senate candidate Roy Cooper speaks during a March 9, 2026, campaign stop in Greensboro, N.C. (AP Photo/Bill Barrow)

Michael Aycock, 56, left, and his mother Phyllis Aycock, 79, discuss economic conditions as they stand on the showroom floor of their antiques shop in downtown Nashville, N.C., March 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Bill Barrow)

Michael Aycock, 56, left, and his mother Phyllis Aycock, 79, discuss economic conditions as they stand on the showroom floor of their antiques shop in downtown Nashville, N.C., March 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Bill Barrow)

Evan Duke, a 30-year-old bartender who lives in Raleigh, N.C., works at the Pearl & Peril, March 10, 2026, in the city's Glenwood South bar district. (AP Photo/Bill Barrow)

Evan Duke, a 30-year-old bartender who lives in Raleigh, N.C., works at the Pearl & Peril, March 10, 2026, in the city's Glenwood South bar district. (AP Photo/Bill Barrow)

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