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.
The ceasefire, announced by US President Donald Trump, leaves open questions. It does not mention the withdrawal of Israeli troops, raising fears of occupation. Additionally, the issue of disarming Hezbollah remains contentious, with the group asserting it will never disarm, claiming to be the only protection against threats in the region. Observers note that any decisions regarding Hezbollah's weapons will likely be influenced more by Iran than by the Lebanese government.
Finally, according to the deal, Israel may continue to attack Lebanon, citing security concerns, which may revert the country to previous conditions of near-daily aggression. While the ceasefire is seen as a temporary measure, the long path to peace remains fraught with uncertainty and potential volatility.
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.
The ceasefire, announced by US President Donald Trump, leaves open questions. It does not mention the withdrawal of Israeli troops, raising fears of occupation. Additionally, the issue of disarming Hezbollah remains contentious, with the group asserting it will never disarm, claiming to be the only protection against threats in the region. Observers note that any decisions regarding Hezbollah's weapons will likely be influenced more by Iran than by the Lebanese government.
Finally, according to the deal, Israel may continue to attack Lebanon, citing security concerns, which may revert the country to previous conditions of near-daily aggression. While the ceasefire is seen as a temporary measure, the long path to peace remains fraught with uncertainty and potential volatility.
