A ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon remains in place as thousands seek to return home

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A US-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon appeared to hold on Wednesday morning, raising hopes that some of the more than 1 million civilians displaced by the conflict will be able to return home.

The agreement, which took effect at 4 a.m. local time, was described by US President Joe Biden as “designed to permanently end hostilities.”

Thousands of evacuated residents tried to return to their homes in Beirut’s bombed southern suburbs on Wednesday, as the Lebanese government prepared to give official support for a ceasefire.

But in a sign of the deal’s fragility, the Israel Defense Forces issued an “urgent message” to residents of southern Lebanon, warning them not to return to their villages or approach Israeli forces.

“For your safety and the security of your family, please avoid entering this area. We will inform you when it is safe to return home,” said Israeli military spokesman Avichay Adraee.

The Lebanese army also urged civilians to wait before returning to “occupied territories” in the south of the country and to be cautious of unexploded ordnance in other areas.

More than 1 million Lebanese had to evacuate warwas triggered when Hizbollah, the Iran-backed militant group, began its offensive into northern Israel in the days following an October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas from Gaza.

About 60,000 Israelis have also been evacuated from the north of the country due to the emergency. Hizbollah rockets, missiles and drones.

During the conflict, more than 3,700 Lebanese and more than 140 Israelis were killed.

The attack dealt a series of devastating blows to Hizbollah, killing its longtime leader. Hassan Nasrallah and damaged large amounts of the country’s weapons and infrastructure, as well as destroying large areas of land in the east and south of the country.

In a pre-recorded video message Tuesday night, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the goal of the war is to return the people of northern Israel to their homes. But he stopped asking them to do so right away.

Northern Israeli mayors and regional council heads on Tuesday criticized Netanyahu for agreeing to the deal with Hizbollah.

Under the terms of the agreement announced by Biden and approved by the Israeli cabinet, the IDF will gradually withdraw from Lebanon over a period of 60 days and be replaced by the Lebanese army.

Hizbollah will be banned from rebuilding infrastructure in areas of southern Lebanon. The group’s fighters are expected to move mainly north of the Litani River, which runs up to 30km from the Israel-Lebanon border.

According to those involved in the negotiations, Hizbollah has accepted the ceasefire agreement.

Iran also issued a statement Wednesday welcoming the ceasefire, despite previously stressing that Israel must end its war against Hamas in Gaza before the conflict can end.

Hizbollah is the most powerful force in the Tehran-led “axis of resistance,” which includes militant groups that began conducting attacks against Israel in solidarity with Hamas.

Biden said the US and France would work with Israel and Lebanon to see this week’s agreement fully implemented, adding that no US troops would be deployed in southern Lebanon.

He added that his administration would pursue efforts to revive talks between Türkiye, Egypt, Qatar and Israel on a ceasefire in Gaza.

Mike Waltz, national security adviser to President-elect Donald Trump, also praised what he called “concrete steps toward reducing tensions in the Middle East.”

In areas of Dahiyeh, an area of ​​Beirut where Hizbollah has a controlling presence, traffic was gridlocked as people sought to return to their homes. Many people waved both Hizbollah and Lebanese flags as they sang and fired guns into the sky in celebration.

“As soon as the bombing stopped this morning, I came here,” said Hajj Amin, a 56-year-old notary. “I just wanted to see with my own eyes what the enemy did to my neighborhood.”

Mr. Netanyahu said “the duration of the ceasefire depends on what happens in Lebanon.”

He also emphasized that he had reached a “full understanding” with the US that Israel would maintain “full freedom of military action” in the event of Hizbollah violating the terms of the agreement.

“If Hizbollah violates the agreement and tries to arm itself, we will attack,” Netanyahu said. “If they try to rebuild terrorist infrastructure near the border, we will attack. If it launches missiles, if it digs tunnels, if it brings in trucks carrying missiles, we will attack.”