First responders carry the body of a victim at the site of an Israeli drone strike that targeted a vehicle in the town of Jiyeh, south of Beirut. AFP
NRC calls on all parties to fully respect the ceasefire and uphold international humanitarian law, adding that civilians, civilian infrastructure, health workers, and humanitarian personnel must be protected at all times.
The NRC added that the right of displaced people to return safely and voluntarily must be upheld, and measures that risk turning displacement into a long-term reality must end.
“What we are seeing on the ground in terms of daily attacks on villages has the hallmarks of a repeatedly violated ceasefire,” said Maureen Philippon, Country Director for the NRC in Lebanon.
“Civilians in Lebanon have known no peace since the agreement was announced. They continue to be killed, injured, and displaced by daily Israeli attacks and evacuation orders. The ceasefire is now hanging in the balance.”
People in southern Lebanon and the Bekaa remain exposed to Israel's artillery shelling, airstrikes, and demolitions. Israel has killed entire families during the ceasefire period. Tel Aviv has also targeted Beirut once.
On Wednesday, Israel struck cars on a highway south of Beirut killing eight people, including two children.
Since 2 March, Israeli attacks on Lebanon has killed over 2,900 people, including over 200 children, according to the Lebanese health ministry.
In retaliation, Hezbollah has reportedly launched drones and missiles towards Israel, but no casualties from these attacks have been reported.
The ceasefire agreement, instead of reversing displacement, has deepened it. Many displaced families who attempted to go back were displaced again after finding their homes damaged and their villages with no water, electricity, or services.
Satellite imagery has documented extensive Israeli destruction of civilian infrastructure in southern Lebanon, and in some areas, entire villages have been bulldozed and razed to rubble, further undermining any realistic prospect of return.
One displaced woman from Bint Jbeil, southern Lebanon, said, “After the ceasefire, we went back to our village to check on our house. But after seeing the destruction and the lack of any real conditions to stay, we returned to displacement.”
Israel has also established a “Yellow Line” which includes 55 Lebanese villages, effectively creating a broader no-return zone. The Israeli occupation forces continue to operate in and around these areas, preventing many families from returning to their homes, land, and livelihoods.
The greater the damage and the longer the disruption to normal civilian life persists, the higher the level of international engagement and support that will be required. There is a direct link between the conduct of hostilities, especially when civilian infrastructure and homes are destroyed, and the cost of recovery.
In a country already facing a deep economic crisis, this Israeli destruction will only deepen needs and further undermine stability.
“Lebanon risks sliding from a fragile ceasefire into another cycle of violence, one that civilians simply cannot endure,” added Philippon.
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