In brief
Lebanon celebrates a 10-day ceasefire with Israel following six weeks of fierce conflict that has resulted in over 2,100 deaths and widespread displacement. As displaced families begin to return home, many confront challenges of destruction and fears of ongoing Israeli occupation. The ceasefire, announced by US President Donald Trump, opens questions about disarmament and the potential for lasting peace amidst political complexities.
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.
But 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. First, it does not mention the withdrawal of Israeli troops from southern Lebanon, which has raised 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.
Secondly, there is the issue over Hezbollah's weapons, which has long divided this country. Disarmament is a demand of the US, Israel and many Lebanese, who accuse the group of defending the interests of its patron, Iran, and dragging the country into unnecessary wars.
Supporters say Hezbollah is the only protection they have in a weak state and, for now, Hezbollah has refused to discuss the future of its weapons.
Finally, according to the deal, Israel may even continue to attack Lebanon, citing security concerns, which may bring the country back to the situation before the most recent fighting - when Israel carried out near-daily attacks on targets and people allegedly linked to Hezbollah, despite the ceasefire that had ended their previous conflict in November 2024. Hezbollah remained quiet.
Trump seems to hope that this could be the beginning of a process to normalise relations between Israel and Lebanon - another divisive topic in the country. The two neighbours have technically been in a state of war since 1948 and have no diplomatic relations. With parts of Lebanon occupied and Hezbollah yet to be disarmed, progress on that front appears, for now, unlikely.
