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 where they had been forced from 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.
The ceasefire announced by US President Donald Trump 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, several miles deep, and many residents of those areas may not be allowed to go back.
Furthermore, there is the controversial issue of Hezbollah's weapons, which has long divided the country. Disarmament is a demand from the US, Israel, and many Lebanese, who accuse the group of defending the interests of Iran and dragging the country into unnecessary wars. Yet for many supporters, Hezbollah is the only protection they have.
A high-ranking Hezbollah member recently stated that the group would never, ever disarm and asserted the inseparable relationship between Hezbollah and Iran. The Lebanese government, led by President Joseph Aoun, lacks the authority to compel disarmament, which would necessitate negotiations.
Moreover, the ceasefire allows Israel to continue its military operations in Lebanon in the name of security, potentially leading to renewed conflict. As tensions linger, the hope for normalized relations between Israel and Lebanon seems distant, as both nations have been in a state of war since 1948 without diplomatic ties.
In conclusion, while the ceasefire brings momentary relief, it underscores the deep-rooted issues and uncertainties that Lebanon faces moving forward.
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.
The ceasefire announced by US President Donald Trump 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, several miles deep, and many residents of those areas may not be allowed to go back.
Furthermore, there is the controversial issue of Hezbollah's weapons, which has long divided the country. Disarmament is a demand from the US, Israel, and many Lebanese, who accuse the group of defending the interests of Iran and dragging the country into unnecessary wars. Yet for many supporters, Hezbollah is the only protection they have.
A high-ranking Hezbollah member recently stated that the group would never, ever disarm and asserted the inseparable relationship between Hezbollah and Iran. The Lebanese government, led by President Joseph Aoun, lacks the authority to compel disarmament, which would necessitate negotiations.
Moreover, the ceasefire allows Israel to continue its military operations in Lebanon in the name of security, potentially leading to renewed conflict. As tensions linger, the hope for normalized relations between Israel and Lebanon seems distant, as both nations have been in a state of war since 1948 without diplomatic ties.
In conclusion, while the ceasefire brings momentary relief, it underscores the deep-rooted issues and uncertainties that Lebanon faces moving forward.
