In brief
In the wake of a newly declared ceasefire following weeks of conflict, Lebanon sees a glimmer of hope as families begin to return home. However, significant obstacles to lasting peace persist, including the continued presence of Israeli forces in southern Lebanon and the controversy surrounding Hezbollah's armament. Current discussions indicate that U.S. intervention could shape future negotiations, but the underlying tensions suggest a complex road ahead.
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.
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. 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.
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. The government has very little - if any - influence over Hezbollah.
Finally, according to the deal, Israel may 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 allegedly linked to Hezbollah.
The two neighbors 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.
