Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire takes effect, civilians head back to south Lebanon

A ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah came into effect on Wednesday after both sides accepted an agreement brokered by the US and France, a rare victory for diplomacy in a region traumatised by two devastating conflicts for over a year.

At least 55 people were killed on Monday in Israeli attacks on Lebanon, bringing the death toll since October 2023 to 3,823, the Lebanese Health Ministry said on Tuesday.

A total of 160 others were wounded over the past 24 hours, raising the number of injuries to 15,859.

In the hours leading up to the ceasefire, Israeli airstrikes on the Lebanese capital Beirut and its southern suburbs, as well as the southern and eastern provinces of the country, had intensified, resulting in dozens of deaths and injuries.

While the ceasefire largely held on Wednesday morning, Israel said it identified Hezbollah operatives returning to areas near the border and had opened fire to prevent them from coming closer.

Lebanon’s army, tasked with helping ensure the ceasefire holds, said in a statement on Wednesday it was preparing to deploy to the south of the country.

The military also asked that residents of border villages delay returning home until the Israeli military, which has fought against Hezbollah on several occasions and pushed around six kilometres into Lebanese territory, withdraws.

The agreement, which promises to end a conflict across the Israeli-Lebanese border that has killed thousands of people since it was ignited by Israel’s invasion of Gaza last year, is touted as a major achievement for the US in the waning days of President Joe Biden’s administration.

“Force must give way to dialogue and negotiation. This has now been achieved in Lebanon, and it must happen as soon as possible in the Gaza Strip,” French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot told franceinfo radio.

Bursts of gunfire could be heard across Lebanon’s capital Beirut after the ceasefire took effect at 0200 GMT. It was not immediately clear if the shooting was celebratory, as gunfire had also been used to alert residents who may have missed evacuation warnings issued by Israel’s military.

Later, cars and vans piled high with mattresses, suitcases and even furniture streamed through the southern port city of Tyre, which was heavily bombed in the final days before the ceasefire, heading further south.

Some cars waved Lebanese flags, others honked, and one woman could be seen flashing the victory sign with her fingers.

Many of the villages the people were likely returning to have been destroyed. But displaced families renting out alternative housing have been under financial pressure and hoped to avoid paying another month of rent, some of them told Reuters.

Some displaced people said they were still nervous about returning.

Hussam Arrout, a father of four who said he was displaced from Beirut’s southern suburbs and was originally from the southern border village of Mays al-Jabal, said he was itching to get to his ancestral home.

“The Israelis haven’t withdrawn in full, they’re still on the edge. So we decided to wait until the army announces that we can go in. Then we’ll turn the cars on immediately and go to the village,” he said.

‘Permenant cessation’

Biden spoke at the White House on Tuesday shortly after Israel’s security cabinet approved the agreement in a 10-1 vote. He said he had spoken to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Lebanon’s caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati, and that fighting would end at 4am local time (0200 GMT).

“This is designed to be a permanent cessation of hostilities,” Biden said. “What is left of Hezbollah and other terrorist organisations will not be allowed to threaten the security of Israel again.”

Israel will gradually withdraw its forces over 60 days as Lebanon’s army takes control of territory near its border with Israel to ensure that Hezbollah does not rebuild its infrastructure there after a costly conflict, Biden said.

He said his administration was also pushing for an elusive ceasefire in Gaza and that it was possible that Saudi Arabia and Israel could normalise relations.

Hezbollah has not formally commented on the ceasefire but senior official Hassan Fadlallah told Lebanon’s Al Jadeed TV that while it supported the extension of the Lebanese state’s authority, the group would emerge from the conflict stronger.

“Thousands will join the resistance … Disarming the resistance was an Israeli proposal that fell through,” said Fadlallah, who is also a member of Lebanon’s parliament.

The front page of the pro-Hezbollah Al-Akhbar paper featured a picture of two men carrying a Hezbollah flag in front of a partially collapsed building with the caption, “Steadfast … and victorious.”

Iran, which allegedly supports Hezbollah, Palestinian group Hamas as well as the Houthi rebels from Yemen that have intervened to deter Israel from its invasion of Gaza, said it welcomed the ceasefire.

In a statement, Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei welcomed the development, stressing his country’s “firm support for the Lebanese government, nation and resistance”.

He stressed the international community’s responsibility in maintaining peace and stability in the region, and in pressuring Israel to stop its aggression on Gaza, where it has killed more than 43,000 people since Oct 7, 2023.

Israel has dealt heavy blows to both Hezbollah and Hamas, killing several of their top leaders.

Lebanon’s Mikati issued a statement welcoming the deal. Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib said the Lebanese army would have at least 5,000 troops deployed in southern Lebanon as Israeli troops withdrew.

Netanyahu said he was ready to implement a ceasefire but would respond forcefully to any violation by Hezbollah.

He said the ceasefire would allow Israel to focus on the alleged threat from Iran, give the army an opportunity to rest and replenish supplies, and isolate Hamas.

‘Set it back decades’

Hezbollah, which is allied to Hamas, was considerably weaker than it had been at the start of the conflict, Netanyahu added.

“We have set it back decades, eliminated … its top leaders, destroyed most of its rockets and missiles, neutralised thousands of fighters and obliterated years of terror infrastructure near our border,” he said.

A senior US official, briefing reporters on condition of anonymity, said the US and France would join a mechanism with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon peacekeeping force that would work with Lebanon’s army to deter potential violations of the ceasefire. US combat forces would not be deployed, the official said.

In the hours leading up to the ceasefire, hostilities raged as Israel intensified its campaign of airstrikes in Beirut and other parts of Lebanon, with health authorities reporting at least 18 killed.

The Israeli military said it struck “components of Hezbollah’s financial management and systems”, including a money-exchange office. Hezbollah also kept up rocket fire into Israel in the final hours.