Amid ceasefire in Lebanon, a rush home 鈥� if it鈥檚 reachable and still there
As civilians displaced by the Israel-Hezbollah conflict in Lebanon try to return to their war-damaged homes, a new Israeli occupation zone in the country鈥檚 south poses an obstacle for many. Meanwhile, the ceasefire has reduced but not eliminated the fighting.
As civilians displaced by the Israel-Hezbollah conflict in Lebanon try to return to their war-damaged homes, a new Israeli occupation zone in the country鈥檚 south poses an obstacle for many. Meanwhile, the ceasefire has reduced but not eliminated the fighting.
The 10-day ceasefire in Lebanon brokered by the White House after 46 days of war has, since Friday, lessened Israeli bombardments and lowered attacks by Iran-backed Hezbollah fighters.
Lebanese residents reacted to the news with celebrations and flag-waving, then were on the move. Highways to southern Lebanon and Hezbollah strongholds in Beirut, from which 1.2 million people had been displaced during the fighting, were clogged with traffic as residents returned to homes聽鈥� many of them damaged or destroyed.
The ceasefire has largely paused a battle that, from March 2 until April 16, left some 2,294 dead and 7,544 wounded, according to Lebanese health officials who do not differentiate between civilians and combatants.
But the ceasefire has also been breached repeatedly by both Israel and Hezbollah.
The Israeli military is seeking tactical advantage against the Shiite militia and creation of a longer-term occupied zone in southern Lebanon by creating a Gaza-style 鈥測ellow line,鈥� south of which this weekend it forbade Lebanese from returning to 55 villages.
U.S. President Donald Trump 鈥� who sees the Lebanon ceasefire as part of a broader deal to end the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran, for which a separate two-week truce expires Wednesday 鈥� said over the weekend that he had 鈥減rohibited鈥� Israel from further attacks.
Nonetheless, Lebanese news outlets reported 鈥渄ozens鈥� of further Israeli strikes. Israeli army commanders told the newspaper Haaretz聽about聽a military policy in southern Lebanon that included 鈥渨idespread demolition of civilian infrastructure ... replicated from tactics used in the Gaza Strip鈥� to create the buffer zone and prevent Lebanese residents from returning home.
Hezbollah, which reignited the conflict on March 2 by launching rockets into northern Israel 鈥� in response to Israel鈥檚 killing on Feb. 28 of Iran鈥檚 supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei 鈥� is trying to fend off concerted efforts by Lebanon鈥檚 government to disarm the militia.
Hezbollah was not party to the ceasefire, and its officials have rejected negotiations between Israel and the Lebanese government. President Joseph Aoun said on Friday that the truce signified a new phase in which Lebanon would no longer be a 鈥渃ard in anyone鈥檚 pockets, nor a battlefield for others鈥� wars.鈥�
Also on Friday, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said that the government鈥檚 decision to disarm Hezbollah was 鈥渋rreversible.鈥� He is scheduled to meet Tuesday with French President Emmanuel Macron.
Hezbollah has bridled at peace efforts and refused to give up its weapons. On the first day of the ceasefire, Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem said his fighters鈥� 鈥渉ands will remain on the trigger,鈥� in their bid to prevent any Israeli political or military victory.
On the second day of the ceasefire, Mr. Qassem said the truce was 鈥渦seless in practical terms,鈥� and demanded that Israel halt attacks 鈥渋n the air, on land, and at sea.鈥�
The militia said on Sunday it had ambushed Israeli soldiers near Taybeh, in southern Lebanon. Hezbollah was also widely blamed for the killing on Saturday of a French soldier and the wounding of three others serving in the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon. The force has been deployed to border areas for decades.
鈥淭he Nation bows with respect and extends its support to the families of our soldiers and to all our military personnel engaged for peace in Lebanon,鈥� Mr. Macron wrote on X. 鈥淓verything suggests that responsibility for this attack lies with Hezbollah.鈥� The organization denied it played a role in the killing.
Before a November 2024 ceasefire, Hezbollah was devastated by more than a year of conflict with Israel, which culminated with the assassination of nearly all of its top leadership, the killing or wounding of thousands of fighters, and unrelenting bombardment of its missile and rocket arsenal.
Even since late 2024, near-daily strikes by Israel against Hezbollah targets and infrastructure have killed more than 300 Lebanese. Prior to the resumption of the latest fighting, the Lebanese army claimed it had entirely disarmed Hezbollah south of the Litani River.
While the 2024 ceasefire required Hezbollah to completely disarm, it also required Israel to halt attacks and withdraw its forces from all Lebanese territory, including five areas Israel continued to occupy inside Lebanon.
Mahmoud Qomati, vice president of Hezbollah鈥檚 political council, said on Saturday that Mr. Aoun鈥檚 dealing with Israel had 鈥渢hanked the criminal and the assassin, without thanking those who saved us, namely Iran,鈥� the news website L鈥橭rient Today reported.
鈥淚f the president of the republic and the head of government persist in the path of direct negotiations, then they will go their way, and we will go ours,鈥� he said.