Lebanon Ceasefire Holds, But 100,000 Displaced Face Ruined Homes

DAHIYA, Lebanon – A fragile ceasefire brokered by international mediators has brought a tense calm to southern Lebanon and the Hezbollah stronghold of Dahiya, allowing residents to emerge from shelters for the first time in weeks [184015]. However, the deal has not resolved the humanitarian crisis left behind by the conflict.

In southern border towns like Aita al-Shaab, families returning to their homes have found only rubble. “The bombing has stopped, but our houses are gone. We have no water, no electricity, no roads,” one displaced resident said [183497]. The United Nations estimates that thousands of homes were damaged or destroyed, and aid groups warn that rebuilding will take years [183497].

The ceasefire agreement, which includes a framework for an Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory, remains conditional [183843]. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that Israel will remain in a southern Lebanon "security zone" as long as Hezbollah has not been disarmed [183843]. This stance was reinforced by Israel's Defense Minister, who ordered the military to prepare for a long-term deployment in the area [183485].

Despite the truce, violence continues. An Israeli drone strike killed one person and injured two others near the village of Aitaroun [183475]. Additionally, an unexploded Israeli bomb killed a civilian in southern Lebanon, highlighting the ongoing danger of ordnance left behind by the conflict [182195].

The Israeli army is expected to begin a pilot withdrawal from southern Lebanon as early as Sunday as part of the US-sponsored framework, but no timeline for a full pullback has been set [183583]. For now, residents remain cautious. “The true test begins now,” said a local relief worker. “Peace is not just the absence of war. It is having a home to go back to” [183497].