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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)

HONG KONG (AP) — China has a hot new product in the United States: artificial intelligence.

San Francisco-based Raffi Krikorian, the chief technology officer at Mozilla, which runs the Firefox browser, switched to Chinese AI startup Moonshot’s Kimi K3 for many of his day-to-day activities within days of the new, powerful model’s launch more than a week ago.

“It just seems snappier,” he said of K3, comparing it to the acclaimed and more expensive Claude Fable chatbot from San Francisco company Anthropic. Earlier, he had been using another high-performing Chinese model, Z.ai's GLM-5.2, for routine tasks such as managing his calendar, documents and email.

Krikorian is one of a growing number of Americans adopting Chinese AI systems, which are gaining ground around the world because they are more affordable and increasingly efficient. U.S. companies like cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase said they're switching to Chinese AI models to help trim costs.

Their popularity has frustrated some U.S. tech giants, but short of an outright ban, they're likely to continue to appeal to independent software developers in the U.S. and elsewhere.

American-led restrictions block China from accessing some of the world’s most advanced technologies including cutting-edge AI chips and U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has warned more sanctions could be coming to protect American intellectual property.

U.S. President Donald Trump's administration on Wednesday accused Moonshot of using “covert” but not necessarily illegal methods to build K3 off the back of Anthropic's Fable. Some U.S. politicians and AI companies including Anthropic have accused Chinese startups of illicit “distillation” of their models to extract their technologies, a claim that Beijing rejects as “groundless.”

The rapid rise of cutting-edge Chinese AI models this year shows the China-U.S. race in AI has moved on from early last year, when Chinese startup DeepSeek shook up the U.S. technology industry and put China on the map with an AI model that performed on par with those in the U.S. but much more cheaply.

The latest AI models launched by startups Z.ai, or Zhipu, in June, and Moonshot in July are nearly as intelligent as the frontier models from OpenAI and Anthropic, experts say. Also in July, China’s Alibaba previewed its Qwen3.8 Max AI model. In April, DeepSeek rolled out previews of its latest V4 model, challenging OpenAI’s GPT and Google’s Gemini.

Those constant advances are bearing fruit. Curt Meinhold, a Greensboro, North Carolina-based technology executive, said he increasingly prefers to use DeepSeek for tasks such as finding business leads or ways to generate sales.

“At the end of the day, most of us, the vast majority of us, 90 plus percent, don’t need (Anthropic's) Mythos or Fable,” said Meinhold, who founded digital legacy platform LilyList. “Like, we just don’t need it, we need something good enough.”

Chinese AI models are reaching a “critical stage” for wide adoption, U.S. investment bank Goldman Sachs wrote in a July research report, especially when a surge of global “agentic” AI usage, which requires the AI models to autonomously conduct multistep, complex tasks, is driving higher demand for cost effective AI models.

AI prices are calculated per million tokens for both input and output, so the use of AI “agents” is dramatically compounding cost differences, according to analysts including Alex Colville of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute.

“The Chinese models, you know, I find them to be pretty close on code and research,” said Meinhold. “If I can pay a handful of cents per million output tokens versus 30 bucks or 40 bucks or 50 bucks, then it’s good enough.”

Based on data over the past month, the top five most popular models on OpenRouter, a platform that tracks data across AI models, were Chinese.

Estimates from Sensor Tower, a market intelligence firm, showed Kimi had more than 930,000 downloads during the week after K3's July release, an increase of 200% from the week before. In the U.S. it was downloaded around 86,000 times, a 387% jump.

K3 proved so popular that Moonshot had to temporarily suspend new subscriptions after overwhelming demand pushed its capacity close to its limits.

Still, while Chinese models are becoming serious competitors to the U.S., they lag American AI leaders across their overall, full-range capabilities, said Anastasios Angelopoulos, co-founder and CEO of Arena, a platform for evaluating AI systems.

And U.S. AI firms are also looking for more options to reduce pricing, such as with cheaper alternatives of competitive models, added Yasir Atalan, with the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Most Chinese AI models are open-source — meaning anyone can examine and build on them — at a time when frontier models from U.S. companies like Anthropic and OpenAI are closed-source.

Chinese model vendors are expected to leverage open-source software to promote their global usage and adoption, said Lian Jye Su, of the technology research and advisory group Omdia.

As Chinese open-source models are increasingly almost as good as closed systems made by leading U.S. companies, said Mozilla’s Krikorian, “the open frontier is becoming increasingly Chinese-built.” While the U.S. weighs restricting Chinese AI models, a group of American tech firms including Microsoft, Meta and Nvidia signed an open letter published Friday backing “open” AI models.

Other U.S. tech policies also at times give China an upper hand, some experts say. China’s Z.ai released its GLM-5.2 model in mid-June, not long after the Trump administration put export controls on Anthropic’s Fable and Mythos models, keeping them offline for more than two weeks.

"Restricting an American model can immediately create an opening for a Chinese competitor,” said Arena's Angelopoulos.

In China, people and businesses have rapidly embraced AI technologies that have prospered with state support. Chinese tech companies like Huawei and Tencent are also embedding AI in devices such as smartphones, AI glasses and humanoid robots.

Now China is increasingly looking to dominate AI abroad, too. At a flagship technology summit in Shanghai, Chinese President Xi Jinping championed open-source AI models and the importance of promoting greater global equity, while pledging Chinese involvement in raising AI capabilities especially in developing nations.

As is true for many other industries in China, intense competition at home is driving companies to expand globally. Leading Chinese AI startups are now raising more funding to support that effort, including through public share offerings.

Both China and the U.S. will want to “encourage widespread adoption of their AI ecosystems, while safeguarding technologies that could materially strengthen strategic rivals,” said Chelsey Tam, with investment research firm Morningstar.

“The competition is no longer simply the United States against China; the Chinese labs are also putting a lot of pressure on one another,” Angelopoulos said.

But as is the case in the U.S., huge investments in AI have also raised concerns over sustainability of these Chinese startups. Z.ai, for example, reported its revenue surged 132% to 724 million yuan ($107 million) last year, but net loss jumped 60% to 4.7 billion yuan ($694 million).

For now, Chinese AI models will likely continue to march ahead including in the U.S. “I would highly recommend anyone doing any serious AI load to at least evaluate it,” said Krikorian.

O’Brien reported from Providence, Rhode Island. AP Business Writer Kelvin Chan in Toronto contributed to this report.

Visitors at the booth for Baidu's AI Agent Dumate during the World AI Conference in Shanghai, China on July 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)

Visitors at the booth for Baidu's AI Agent Dumate during the World AI Conference in Shanghai, China on July 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)

A visitor stands near a poster for the World AI Conference in Shanghai, China on July 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)

A visitor stands near a poster for the World AI Conference in Shanghai, China on July 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)

Chiense President Xi Jinping speaks during a meeting on global AI governance held on the sidelines of the World AI Conference in Shanghai, China on July 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)

Chiense President Xi Jinping speaks during a meeting on global AI governance held on the sidelines of the World AI Conference in Shanghai, China on July 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)

A worker stands at the booth for Chinese AI Startup Moonshot's Kimi K3 during the World AI Conference in Shanghai, China on July 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)

A worker stands at the booth for Chinese AI Startup Moonshot's Kimi K3 during the World AI Conference in Shanghai, China on July 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)

Visitors at the booth for Chinese AI Startup Moonshot's Kimi K3 during the World AI Conference in Shanghai, China on July 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)

Visitors at the booth for Chinese AI Startup Moonshot's Kimi K3 during the World AI Conference in Shanghai, China on July 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)

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