Lebanon Hopes US-Iran Ceasefire Holds, Despite Skepticism
Theo Al Jazeera (Justin Salhani)
A US-Iran ceasefire deal that includes Lebanon was announced on June 16, prompting some residents to return to their homes. However, defiant statements from Israeli officials have sparked skepticism about whether the conflict in southern Lebanon will truly end.
Beirut, Lebanon – On June 16, residents of Lebanon woke to a new ceasefire agreement. According to Iranian and Pakistani officials, the deal between the US and Iran includes Lebanon, but statements from Israel have raised doubts about whether the devastating war in southern Lebanon since 2023 is truly over.
Videos on Monday showed Lebanese people returning home in southern areas, even as authorities warned border residents not to return until the security situation is clearer. Many others have little to return to. Ali Saleh, 55, from the southern village of Jwaya, has been evacuated at a stadium in Beirut since early March. “I won't return home. My house was bombed, and my financial situation is very difficult now,” he told Al Jazeera.
On March 2, Israel escalated its war with Lebanon for the second time in less than two years, just hours after Hezbollah fired six rockets into Israel – the first retaliation after more than 10,000 Israeli violations of the 2024 ceasefire. Since then, Israel has killed at least 3,783 people in Lebanon and wounded 11,699 others. More than 1.2 million people have been displaced from homes in the south, Beirut's suburbs, and villages in the Bekaa Valley. Numerous villages have been leveled, and the Israeli army occupies vast areas of southern Lebanon.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the US-Iran agreement declares “an immediate and permanent cessation of military operations on all fronts, including Lebanon.” Lebanese President Joseph Aoun welcomed the deal and said the people of Lebanon expect “these agreements to be translated into practical steps that end the cycle of violence and pave the way for stability, security, recovery, and reconstruction.” Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, a close Hezbollah ally, also praised the agreement and thanked Iran and the US for including a clause “on preventing Israeli aggression against all of Lebanon, to protect sovereignty across the entire territory.”
Despite lingering concerns, many Lebanese have begun returning home. Qassem Kassir, a Lebanese political analyst, said: “People are going back to their villages and waiting for the full implementation of the ceasefire and the withdrawal of Israel from occupied areas.” This is not the first time a ceasefire has been declared between Lebanon and Israel. The November 2024 agreement called for Israeli withdrawal and an end to hostilities, but Israel never stopped striking Lebanon. In April 2026, US President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel, which reduced attacks on central Beirut, but fighting continued in the south.
The question remains whether the parties will respect this ceasefire. As of Monday afternoon, Hezbollah had not conducted any operations since the deal was announced. However, Lebanese state media reported that an Israeli drone strike on a car in southern Lebanon killed the driver. Israeli officials reacted defiantly. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz stated: “We oppose the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanon, despite all current and future pressure.”
Analysts expressed skepticism. Karim Safieddine, a fellow at the Tahrir Institute, commented: “Netanyahu could spring many surprises and try to impose his own terms.” Qassim Kassir argued this ceasefire is different and the larger war is over, but he stressed the need for “the withdrawal of Israeli forces, the return of displaced people,” and a national consensus on a defense plan.
