The Lebanese Army announced on Thursday the deployment of troops into Hezbollah strongholds outside Beirut and in southern and eastern Lebanon to facilitate the return of displaced individuals. Meanwhile, Israel's military reported airstrikes on a Hezbollah site in the south and cautioned Lebanese civilians against returning to villages near the border.
As Lebanon entered the second day of a fragile cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah, the implications of the Israeli strike on the cease-fire agreement remained unclear. Hezbollah had not commented on the strike at the time of reporting.
In the morning, the cease-fire, which temporarily halted Lebanon's deadliest conflict since the civil war ended in 1990, appeared to be largely holding. The conflict had forced approximately a quarter of Lebanon's population to evacuate, with many beginning their return to war-torn communities, especially in the south and east, following the implementation of the U.S.-brokered cease-fire on Wednesday.
The cease-fire agreement stipulates a 60-day truce and a gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanon, though it does not clearly define when civilians may return home.
On Thursday, the Israeli military reported firing upon individuals in southern Lebanon for violating the cease-fire agreement, labeling them as “suspects” without further details. Avichay Adraee, an Israeli military spokesman, advised residents who had fled southern towns to remain away “until further notice” and announced a nighttime curfew in the area.
Lebanon's military stated it was establishing temporary checkpoints and detonating unexploded ordnance in the areas of deployment, while also working to reopen roads damaged during the conflict. The military's objective is to assist displaced individuals in returning to their homes.
Among those returning was 79-year-old Taflah Amar, who arrived back in Baalbek after two months in Beirut, expressing her sorrow over the destruction of her neighborhood. “I’m not affiliated with anyone. What did I do to deserve this?” she lamented.
Border towns heavily affected by the conflict have been under Hezbollah's influence for years. Since October 2023, Hezbollah launched near-daily rocket attacks on northern Israel in support of Hamas, resulting in significant displacement within Israel. Despite the cease-fire, many Israeli residents expressed reluctance to return home.
Gal Avraham, a resident of Margaliot, shared her hesitation to return, citing damage to her home and lingering instability in the region. “As far as we know, no one is returning home,” she stated.
The conflict, which escalated following intensified Israeli military responses to Hezbollah attacks, has resulted in approximately 3,800 Lebanese and 100 Israeli deaths, according to government reports.
Under the cease-fire terms, both Israel and Hezbollah will observe a 60-day truce, during which Israel will gradually withdraw its military, and Hezbollah will relocate its fighters from southern Lebanon to establish a buffer zone. This area will be monitored by a U.N. peacekeeping force and Lebanon's military, which has remained neutral in the conflict.
Although the cease-fire was mediated by the United States and France and accepted by both Israeli and Lebanese governments, the timeline for full implementation remains uncertain. Israel has indicated that its military actions will depend on developments in Lebanon and has pledged to respond if Hezbollah resumes hostile activities. A previous cease-fire that concluded the 2006 conflict between Israel and Hezbollah was never fully enforced.