Hundreds of IDPs return home after Israel-Lebanon cease-fire deal
- 27 November, 14:34
Hundreds of thousands of people are returning to their homes in Lebanon hours after the cease-fire agreement between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah group took effect on Wednesday. The residents returned to southern Lebanon despite the warnings issued by Israel and the Lebanese army about security concerns in certain areas.
The cease-fire deal that was announced by US President Joe Biden on Tuesday, will bring an end to nearly 14 months of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah. The war between the two sides escalated in September following Israel’s airstrikes and ground incursion into Lebanon. Compounding these concerns were also fears that the conflict will possibly grow into a regional conflict involving Hezbullah’s patron Iran and Israel’s closes ally US. Hezbollah attacked Israel a day after large-scale Hamas attack on Israel on October 7 that killed 1,800 civilians.
The cease fire deal that became effective on Wednesday will allow nearly 1.2 million displaced Lebanese to return to their homes. Approved by the Israeli cabinet and Lebanon on Tuesday, the cease-fire deal that stipulates 60-day halt in hostilities, also calls for Israeli troops’ withdrawal from Lebanese territory as well as Hezbollah’s withdrawal from the Israeli border. The new deal is believed to be the foundation of the lasting peace.
However, the deal does not address the war in Gaza where 44,000 thousands of civilians have been killed since October hostilities, according to Gaza healthy ministry. Joe Biden said on Wednesday that over the coming days, Washington will renew a push for a ceasefire in Gaza. “Over the coming days, the United States will make another push with Turkey, Egypt, Qatar, Israel, and others to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza with the hostages released and an end to the war without Hamas in power,” Biden posted on social media. Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri said the group was interested in reaching peace deal with Israel.
