The signing of the ceasefire agreement in Lebanon marks one year since the renewal of Israeli attacks

Madrid, November 26 (European Press) –

A ceasefire agreed in November 2024 between Israel and Lebanon after thirteen months of fighting between the Israeli army and Hezbollah following the October 7, 2023 attacks turns one year this Thursday, a period marked by sustained Israeli attacks against the neighboring country, which have increased in recent weeks amid pressure on Beirut to move forward with disarming the group, something the party’s militia has outright rejected.

The agreement was signed on November 27 by Israel, Lebanon and five mediating countries, including the United States, to end the conflict that erupted after Hezbollah began firing rockets into Israel on October 8, 2023, opening a second front after attacks the previous day led by the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) against Israeli territory, which left about 1,200 people dead and about 250 kidnapped.

The agreement provides for the suspension of hostilities for a period of sixty days in light of the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the areas they occupied during the conflict – a process that has suffered numerous delays and is not yet complete, as it is still ongoing at five points within Lebanese territory – as well as the withdrawal of Hezbollah forces north of the Litani River, in line with Resolution 1701 of the United Nations Security Council, which was approved after the conflict in 2006.

It also led to the formation of a five-nation committee to supervise the implementation of the agreement, which opened the door to the deployment of the Lebanese army in southern Litani, a process marred by various obstacles and the continuation of attacks by Israel, which says it is working against Hezbollah and that it is not violating the agreement, despite criticism from Beirut, the group and the United Nations.

These contradictions stem from the possibility of resorting to self-defense, with Israel saying it is carrying out these attacks to prevent Hezbollah’s attempts to rebuild its military capabilities, which were severely damaged during the conflict, in which many of its key political and military leaders were killed, including its historic Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah.

The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) stated last week that it had documented 10,000 “violations” by Israel since the agreement entered into force, including 7,500 violations in Lebanese airspace and 2,500 committed on the ground, before stating that it had found 360 weapons caches and handed them over to the Lebanese army, without commenting on their ownership.

For his part, spokesman for the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Thameen Al-Khitan, said on Tuesday that at least 127 civilians were killed in the attacks carried out by Israel, while warning of an “increase” in bombings, including a recent bombing launched against a Palestinian refugee camp near Sidon and another against Beirut, which is the first since the ceasefire came into effect.

Al-Khitan confirmed that the attack on Ain al-Hilweh refugee camp led to the deaths of thirteen civilians, including eleven children, and called for a “swift and impartial” investigation into possible violations of international humanitarian law, after Israel claimed that all those killed were members of Hamas.

The aforementioned attack was followed by another attack over the weekend against Beirut that killed five Hezbollah members, including the “number two” and commander of the group’s military wing, Hazem Ali Tabatabai, raising fears of a final collapse of the ceasefire.

Risk of collapse

As such, repeated attacks by Israel, including the most recent ones, have drawn sharp criticism from Hezbollah, which has called on the Lebanese authorities to set aside their demands to disarm the group – something that the US and Israeli authorities have demanded – in order to focus on responding to the threat posed by Israeli actions.

Thus, the head of Hezbollah’s Executive Council, Ali Damoush, confirmed today, Monday, from Beirut during the funeral of Tabatabai and the rest of those killed in the Israeli attack, that the neighboring country “should be concerned” about a possible response from the group, while stressing that this type of operation will not push the formation to change its position or course on the political or military level.

He said: “This will not affect our will, determination, or decision to continue on our path. On the contrary, we will increase our determination and perseverance. This will make us more committed to the correctness of our choice and decision. We will not change anything,” before stressing that Lebanon’s main problem “is the Zionist aggression,” not Hezbollah’s weapons.

In this vein, the representative of the bloc led by Hezbollah, Hassan Ezz El-Din, confirmed on Tuesday that the Israeli bombing of Beirut represents “an aggression against all of Lebanon, and not against Hezbollah or the leadership of the resistance, since those attacked are Lebanese citizens residing in Lebanese territory.”

He said, according to the National News Agency, “No one can underestimate us (…) in this country, because we constitute the basic foundation for building the true nation and establishing a just and capable state based on the principle of strength to protect and the principle of justice to care.”

These statements prompted Prime Minister Nawaf Salam to confirm that the government is “taking precautions” against the risk of a new conflict, and to remind that the country is “in a state of war with increasing intensity.” He warned that “the matter is taking the form of a biased war of attrition,” calling on the international community to take action to ensure adherence to the ceasefire, including the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanon.

Challenges facing stability

This situation means that thousands of displaced Lebanese have not yet been able to return to their homes, partly due to the destruction caused by Israeli attacks on infrastructure, in addition to its recent construction of a wall that crosses the Blue Line and penetrates Lebanese territory.

“In addition to killing and wounding civilians, Israeli attacks on Lebanon destroyed and damaged civilian infrastructure, including homes, roads, industries, and construction sites,” Al-Khitan said, adding that these actions “caused severe damage to reconstruction efforts and attempts by displaced persons to return to their homes in southern Lebanon.”

“All internally displaced people must be able to return to their homes and reconstruction must be supported, not undermined,” he stressed, before estimating the number of people still displaced in Lebanon at 64,000, with no prospect currently of returning to their homes.

In this context, Action Against Hunger, Oxfam and Seeker Insight highlighted last week that many farmers in southern Lebanon are unable to access their land due to displacement, Israeli attacks and pollution due to the Israeli offensive, threatening food security and livelihoods in some of the most fertile and productive areas of the country.

These organizations warned that the destruction of various food production and distribution centers, including the historic Nabatieh market, has deepened the economic difficulties facing Lebanese communities, affecting the agricultural sector and damaging the rural economy, with an impact that may reverberate for years, even if the cessation of hostilities is maintained.