At the stroke of midnight, gunfire and fireworks celebrated the start of the ceasefire in Beirut. Throughout the morning, smiling crowds gathered along roads leading to Lebanon's south, the heartland of Hezbollah, playing revolutionary music and waving the group's yellow flag as they started their journey back to places from which they had been displaced by the war.
This is, initially, a 10-day ceasefire after six weeks of a devastating conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, the Lebanese Shia Muslim militia and political party. But it brings some respite for a country exhausted by the war.
More than 2,100 people have been killed, Lebanese health authorities say, and over a million, or roughly one in five of the population, have been displaced - creating a pressing humanitarian crisis. Mattresses on top of cars and families on motorbikes indicated that people were on the move - but many are not returning to stay.
In some places, the damage is too extensive and for some there is nothing to go back to at all. Some towns and villages near the border remain under Israeli occupation.
In the Hezbollah-controlled southern suburbs of Beirut, known as Dahieh, the streets remained relatively quiet. The area has been hammered by Israel during the war, and many residential buildings have been reduced to rubble. In the city's waterfront, where hundreds of displaced families have been living in improvised tents, some said they feared returning.
Announced by US President Donald Trump, the ceasefire leaves open questions. It does not mention the withdrawal of Israeli troops from southern Lebanon, raising fears that parts of the country will remain occupied even after the war. Israeli officials say their goal is to create a so-called security buffer zone, leaving many residents uncertain about their ability to return home.
The issue of Hezbollah's weapons, long a divisive topic in Lebanese politics, also persists. Disarmament is a demand from the US, Israel, and many Lebanese citizens who accuse Hezbollah of representing Iranian interests and dragging Lebanon into unnecessary conflicts. Supporters, however, argue that Hezbollah serves as a crucial defense in a weak state.
Despite high-ranking Hezbollah officials firmly rejecting disarmament, the government in Beirut struggles with limited influence over the group. Furthermore, the ceasefire permits Israel to continue its military operations in Lebanon based on security concerns, raising the specter of a return to a situation without peace guarantees.
In brief, while the ceasefire brings a temporary reprieve, the path to lasting peace in Lebanon remains fraught with challenges including ongoing occupation, humanitarian crises, and unresolved geopolitical tensions.
This is, initially, a 10-day ceasefire after six weeks of a devastating conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, the Lebanese Shia Muslim militia and political party. But it brings some respite for a country exhausted by the war.
More than 2,100 people have been killed, Lebanese health authorities say, and over a million, or roughly one in five of the population, have been displaced - creating a pressing humanitarian crisis. Mattresses on top of cars and families on motorbikes indicated that people were on the move - but many are not returning to stay.
In some places, the damage is too extensive and for some there is nothing to go back to at all. Some towns and villages near the border remain under Israeli occupation.
In the Hezbollah-controlled southern suburbs of Beirut, known as Dahieh, the streets remained relatively quiet. The area has been hammered by Israel during the war, and many residential buildings have been reduced to rubble. In the city's waterfront, where hundreds of displaced families have been living in improvised tents, some said they feared returning.
Announced by US President Donald Trump, the ceasefire leaves open questions. It does not mention the withdrawal of Israeli troops from southern Lebanon, raising fears that parts of the country will remain occupied even after the war. Israeli officials say their goal is to create a so-called security buffer zone, leaving many residents uncertain about their ability to return home.
The issue of Hezbollah's weapons, long a divisive topic in Lebanese politics, also persists. Disarmament is a demand from the US, Israel, and many Lebanese citizens who accuse Hezbollah of representing Iranian interests and dragging Lebanon into unnecessary conflicts. Supporters, however, argue that Hezbollah serves as a crucial defense in a weak state.
Despite high-ranking Hezbollah officials firmly rejecting disarmament, the government in Beirut struggles with limited influence over the group. Furthermore, the ceasefire permits Israel to continue its military operations in Lebanon based on security concerns, raising the specter of a return to a situation without peace guarantees.
In brief, while the ceasefire brings a temporary reprieve, the path to lasting peace in Lebanon remains fraught with challenges including ongoing occupation, humanitarian crises, and unresolved geopolitical tensions.
