Lebanese residents show caution to ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel

Despite celebrations and cheers in Beirut Thursday night, some people who are affected by the conflict in Lebanon are sceptical about the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon announced by U.S. President Trump on Thursday (16 April).

Fadi Sharara, a resident who lives in the capital Beirut, said she thought it was going to be "impossible" for Hezbollah to surrender their weapons.

"Israelis can't possibly return the residents to the settlements while Hezbollah is still there", she told Reuters. "They might for a period say it is a ceasefire, even if it's for a year, but ten or five years later, the war will resume", she added. 

"Either our land is fully returned, or we don’t want [the ceasefire], we'll continue with the war" said Ibrahim Suwaydi, 30, who is displaced because of the conflict. He says that Lebanese people "don't accept" the 10-day period because of fears hostilities will restart.

Abed El Halim Shakaroun, a resident from south Lebanon, agrees.

"My home in Dahiyeh (a suburb of south Beirut) has been destroyed. Who will compensate me? Who will compensate me? I'm staying here, we will remain on the road until God makes things easier, but we won't accept the ten-day (ceasefire) while they remain in the south (of Lebanon). Either they leave completely, or we're done. We will stay on the road", Suwaydi said.​

Shakaroun says that there's "a large segment of the Lebanese population that rejects this: that there are such talks, face-to-face with the Israelis". He didn't accept that it was possible to negotiate because Israeli's had "flattened" homes and villages, causing bloodshed.

Israel had previously announced that Tel Aviv seek to annex 20km of Lebanese territory in the south of the country.

Mohamed Yassine, 60, said there's little accomplishment if Israel doesn't withdraw from the south.

"If they don't withdraw, what will we have accomplished? We'll still be in the same place, and worse still. Before, we had houses we would come and go to, but now we don't". He added that if Israel left Lebanon that he and his community are "willing to return" to their villages, regardless of the damage.

In Qasmiyeh in south Lebanon, cars were driving across a makeshift crossing over the Litani River, hastily erected after the ceasefire came into effect at midnight local time (2100 GMT). Israel destroyed all the bridges over the Litani during the war, blowing up the one at Qasmiyeh on Thursday.

"I inspected my home and praise God the building is still standing," said Ali Hamza, who had just visited his house in the southern suburbs known as Dahiyeh.

But he said "people are scared to come and live, and it is impossible to live in these circumstances, and with these smells. A full return is difficult now, despite the hardship of displacement".

In the largely destroyed southern city of Nabatieh, some returning residents defiantly said they would stay. Others said there was nothing to come back to.

"There's destruction and it's unliveable. Unliveable. We’re taking our things and leaving again," said Fadel Badreddine, who came with his young son and wife. "May God grant us relief and end this whole thing permanently - not temporarily - so we can return to our homes and lands."

Celebratory gunfire rang out across parts of Beirut as the clock struck midnight on Thursday to mark the start of the pause and witnesses heard explosions from rockets fired in celebration, prompting a safety warning and threat of arrests from the Lebanese Army.

Israel has been fighting the militant group Hezbollah, which is backed by Iran. The Lebanese government have taken steps in trying to disarm the organisation and recently banned it's military wing.

Hassan Fadlallah, who is a senior Hezbollah lawmaker, told Reuters that everything was tied to Israel's commitment to halt all forms of hostilities. He also credited Iran's diplomatic efforts for the possible ceasefire. Trump said he is hopeful of meeting Iran's leadership soon.

Read more:

• Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire begins in Lebanon; Trump signals possible U.S.-Iran talks- Friday, 17 April
• Israel and Lebanon begin ceasefire, Trump says Iran may meet U.S. over weekend
• World leaders react positively to Israel-Lebanon ceasefire agreement

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