Smoke rising from the rubble of multistorey buildings in Beirut. Rockets streaking over the blackened hills of northern Israel. People fleeing their homes, not knowing when or if they will return.
Israel and Hezbollah began a ceasefire on Wednesday, but even if it holds, the devastation caused by more than 13 months of fighting will linger for years.
The border area is a charred wasteland, and an escalation in September brought waves of bombardments upon the Lebanese capital’s southern suburbs and other areas of Lebanon.
Hezbollah’s rocket, drone and missile fire emptied out communities across northern Israel, and longer-range drones and missiles hit the northern city of Haifa and the outskirts of Tel Aviv.
Israel agreed to the ceasefire after months of negotiations led by the United States and France. Hezbollah has said it accepts the proposal. It took effect early on Wednesday with an initial two-month halt in fighting. The deal requires Hezbollah to end its armed presence in southern Lebanon and Israeli troops to return to Israel.
Civilians on both sides will continue to pay the price – in the coming hours, months and years. In Lebanon, Israeli forces have blown up entire villages. In Israel, people are returning to their homes in the north for the first time in more than a year.
Hezbollah and Israel have been exchanging barrages since October 8, 2023.
Israel escalated its campaign in mid-September, launching air strikes that killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and most of his deputies.
It is widely thought to have been behind an attack earlier that month in which pagers and walkie-talkies belonging to Hezbollah members exploded, killing dozens of people, including civilians, and wounding thousands.
Israeli ground troops invaded in early October and have been battling Hezbollah in a belt of towns and villages near the border.
More than 3,760 people have been killed by Israeli fire in Lebanon, according to Lebanese health authorities.
Bombardments have driven 1.2 million people from their homes in Lebanon with many forced to camp out in public parks and beaches.
Hezbollah fire has forced about 50,000 people to evacuate from northern Israel. At least 75 people have been killed.
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