A Month on, a Tenuous Cease-fire Holds in Lebanon

A fragile cease-fire between Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah has largely held for a month now, halting the deadliest war in years between the two sides and injecting a measure of calm into a region in turmoil.

The 60-day truce went into effect on Nov. 27 and has remained in place even as Hezbollah and Israel have traded attacks and exchanged accusations of violations. But a month on, there are concerns that the deal is not being implemented by either side in a timely manner.

As hundreds of thousands of displaced Lebanese return home, many are hoping the cease-fire will last, especially as their country grapples with a deep and prolonged economic crisis that was exacerbated by the war and years of political stagnation.

“We feel like we are coming back to life,” said Huda Hamzeh, whose fruit-and-vegetable stall in the capital, Beirut, has suffered from a lack of supply and fewer clients during the war.

“We just want forever peace.”

Iran-backed Hezbollah was considerably weakened by the war. Securing the cease-fire required the group to make serious concessions, such as pulling its fighters and weapons back from a zone in southern Lebanon that borders Israel.

The truce took effect more than a year after Hezbollah began attacking Israel in solidarity with its ally Hamas, the Palestinian militant group in Gaza that led the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel. Israel retaliated by assassinating Hezbollah’s leadership and pummeling the group’s bases.