Despite Ceasefire, Israel Continues Bombing Lebanon And Blocking Civilian Return

A Ceasefire Agreement, Reached On November 27 Between Israel And The Lebanese Resistance Group Hezbollah, Was Supposed To Bring A Halt To Violence And Lead To Israel’s Withdrawal From Southern Lebanon By January 26. That Date Has Passed, Yet Israel Remains—Continuing Its Occupation And Sporadic Airstrikes, In Open Defiance Of The Truce Terms.

Instead Of Following Through On The Withdrawal, Israel Unilaterally Extended Its Presence To February 18 And Continues To Bomb Lebanese Territory, Under The Pretext Of Targeting Hezbollah—A Pretext That Many See As A Thinly Veiled Justification For Ongoing Aggression. Lebanese Leaders And International Observers Have Condemned These Strikes, Which Have Prevented Thousands Of Civilians From Returning To Their Homes In The South.

Hezbollah, Lebanon’s Most Capable Military Force And A Key Actor In Resisting Israeli Expansionism, Has Largely Held Its Fire Since The Ceasefire Began. Despite This Restraint, Israel Continues To Escalate. Soldiers Along The Border Have Even Fired On Civilians Attempting To Reenter Their Villages.

The Conflict Reignited On October 8 When Hezbollah Launched A Series Of Attacks In Solidarity With The Palestinian People, Who Were Facing A Brutal Assault By Israel In Gaza. Far From Being Unprovoked, Hezbollah’s Actions Came In Response To Israel’s Widespread Human Rights Abuses And Military Aggression. Israel Further Escalated In September, Killing Senior Hezbollah Leader Hassan Nasrallah—A Move Widely Seen As An Assassination Designed To Cripple Lebanese Resistance.

Since October 2023, Israel’s Bombardment Has Killed An Estimated 4,000 People Across Lebanon, Including Civilians. These Attacks Have Occurred With Impunity And A Stunning Lack Of Accountability From The International Community.

Ceasefire In Name Only

While The Bombing Has Slowed Since The November 27 Agreement, The Ceasefire Has Been Violated Repeatedly—Almost Exclusively By Israel. Hezbollah Has Held Back, Choosing To Avoid Escalation Despite Provocation. Notably, Israel Has Carried Out Attacks Even North Of The Litani River, An Area That, Under The Agreement, Hezbollah Is Supposed To Avoid Militarizing—Yet No Similar Constraints Were Placed On Israeli Activity.

Accusations Without Accountability

Israeli Officials Claim That Hezbollah Has Not Fully Withdrawn North Of The Litani, But Offer No Concrete Proof—All While Violating The Same Agreement They Expect Others To Obey. Defense Minister Israel Katz Has Threatened Further Military Action, Framing Israeli Aggression As A Defensive Measure, Despite Its Occupying Role In Another Nation’s Sovereign Territory.

Hezbollah Secretary General Naim Qassem Has Publicly Reaffirmed The Group’s Commitment To The Ceasefire, Even As Israel Continues Its Attacks. According To ACLED, Only One Hezbollah Attack Has Been Recorded Since The Ceasefire Began, And Even That Occurred In Occupied Territory That International Bodies Often Classify As Syrian.

“Hezbollah Has Shown Considerable Restraint In The Face Of Repeated Violations And Civilian Deaths,” Said Ameneh Mehvar Of ACLED. “There Have Been No Attacks On Israeli Soil Since November 27.”

International Silence And Hypocrisy

Lebanon Has Officially Filed A Complaint With The United Nations Over Israel’s Ceasefire Violations. But Despite France And The United States Having Brokered The Agreement, Neither Has Taken Concrete Steps To Hold Israel Accountable. French President Emmanuel Macron’s Calls For Israeli Compliance Have Been Ignored. The U.S., Israel’s Primary Patron, Has Offered Vague “Assurances” But No Enforcement Mechanisms.

Who Holds Israel Accountable?

The Reality Is That There Are No Penalties In Place For Israel’s Ongoing Violations. While Hezbollah Is Held To A High Standard Of Compliance, Israel Faces No Consequences For Its Continued Bombing Campaigns Or Its Refusal To Leave Occupied Southern Lebanon.

Hezbollah’s Position And Constraints

In A Recent Speech, Qassem Reiterated That Hezbollah Is Exercising Patience, Despite Israel’s Provocations. However, He Emphasized That The Lebanese Government Must Do More To Confront Israeli Aggression On The Diplomatic Stage.

Under The Ceasefire, The Lebanese Army Is Supposed To Deploy In The South, But Their Limited Capacity Leaves Hezbollah As The Only Effective Deterrent Against Further Israeli Expansion.

Despite Its Restraint, Hezbollah Operates Under Serious Constraints. The Collapse Of The Assad Government In Syria Severed A Critical Supply Route From Iran, And The Resistance Group Suffered Heavy Losses During Israel’s Recent Invasions. Even So, Hezbollah Maintains A Strong Base Of Support In Lebanon And Across The Region, Seen By Many As A Legitimate Defense Force Standing Against Israeli Colonialism And Western Double Standards.

Conclusion

In The Absence Of International Accountability, Israel Continues To Violate The Ceasefire With Impunity, While The Resistance—Weakened But Resilient—Waits In The Shadows. The Real Question Isn’t Whether Hezbollah Will Respond, But Whether The World Will Ever Demand That Israel Abide By The Same Rules It Imposes On Others.