The Fragile Ceasefire in South Lebanon 

posted on: Oct 21, 2025

By: Amir Kobeissi / Arab America Contributing Writer

Lebanon’s Hezbollah in the South and Israel implemented an immediate ceasefire in November 2024, but the circumstances of this ceasefire don’t seem to be in effect. Many issues such as displacement and reconstruction efforts, appear to be limited. What seemed to be a hopeful stoppage after months of violence and conflict left many ongoing issues astray. ,

The Start of The Ceasefire

On November 7th, 2024, a ceasefire was placed in effect where neither Hezbollah nor Israel was permitted to conduct attacks on one another. International interference, such as the United States and France, played a role in this as well to limit the violence. Although Hezbollah has been accused of maintaining its armed presence and military capabilities, Israel has conducted attacks on Lebanese soil despite the ceasefire.

Israel was also supposed to pull out its troops in South Lebanon within 60 days of the agreement, but they remain in certain parts of the country. The war has left homes and towns destroyed and taken the lives of thousands. With ongoing strikes and return restrictions for civilians in the South, peace remains far away. Israel wants to ensure they have full control of the border to avoid any strikes, and Hezbollah believes it must keep its arms until Israel is fully withdrawn from its territory.

What’s At Risk

If the ceasefire falls out of place completely, the consequences could be brutal and cause further implications and destruction in South Lebanon. This could potentially weaken the power of the Lebanese state even further and allow more power to non-state actors such as Hezbollah. This kind of instability also has negative effects on the region as a whole, and can cause issues for multiple regional powers that also play a role in this.

A Path to Peace?

To ensure this fragile truce doesn’t result in a previous full-scale war, Israel may be required to pull out all of its troops from the South of Lebanon. This may result in allowing for rebuilding on other things, such as schools, homes, and infrastructure that were previously lost in the conflict. International support efforts could prevent any future clashes from taking place, which could allow for a time of restraint between the two nations.

Political Tensions Within Lebanon

Beneath this ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel lies a deep political divide with the Lebanese government itself. Conflict between Hezbollah and the government has caused tension and conflict between the two for decades. Many citizens are very divided on the conflict, especially with Hezbollah’s ongoing influence in the country. Some view Lebanon’s Hezbollah as the main act of defense against Israeli bombardment and aggression, while others accuse it of dragging it into a war it cannot afford. Until Lebanon can fix its large division in the country and establish control over its border with Israel, the ceasefire will remain strained and flare back at any given moment.

Conclusion

The fragile ceasefire in South Lebanon shows how deep the conflict has gotten, and whether or not peace can ever be in place. While the violence hasn’t been as severe as it once was, political divides in the country and constant conflict with Israel have played large effects. In order for stability to last, Lebanon’s leadership needs to find opportunity for recovery and limit both internal and external conflicts to reach prosperity.

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