On September 27, a ray of hope appeared—a chance that could save lives and bring some light to a world filled with darkness—a rare moment of relief in a region too familiar with pain. 

The news arrived—Israel and Lebanon, after 14 months of relentless conflict, had agreed to a ceasefire. Brokered by France and the USA, the agreement seemed like a delicate bridge toward peace.

For a moment, people in both nations dared to hope they might finally witness the dawn of peace and tranquillity in their lands.

But that hope was short-lived.

It was when Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the world, announcing the ceasefire and assuring the people of Israel and Lebanon that peace was within reach, the skies darkened with betrayal. Without warning, Israeli forces launched a devastating assault on Lebanon. 

It was calculated, deliberate, and merciless. They knew this would be their last chance—after the ceasefire took effect, there would be no more strikes, no more retaliation. And so, they unleashed everything they had, determined to inflict as much destruction as possible in those final moments.

The airstrikes were fierce, which took the lives of many and wounded hundreds. Lebanon bled once again, and its people were left to mourn, not just the dead but the cruel betrayal of a promise that had seemed so close. 

What was the agreement between the two?

On November 27, 2024, a historic ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah was put into effect, a tentative step toward ending over 14 months of relentless conflict. This agreement, brokered by the United States and France, aimed to halt the violence and offer a glimmer of peace to a region battered by war.

Under this agreement, Hezbollah was required to withdraw its fighters north of the Litani River, around 40 kilometers from the Israel-Lebanon border. In turn, Israeli forces were to slowly move back to their area south of the Blue Line.

All this will be done under an international monitoring group led by the U.S., which was tasked with overseeing compliance and ensuring neither side violated the terms.

However, the ceasefire had a condition that later caused problems—Israel was allowed to use military force if Hezbollah broke the agreement or posed a direct threat. And that’s where Israel’s army took full advantage of this and continues to do so even today.

Since the ceasefire began, the Israeli army has broken it more than 2 dozen times, causing many deaths and injuries. In their most recent attack on December 2, they violated the ceasefire again, killing 11 innocent civilians.

How did Israel shatter it completely?

Just one day after the ceasefire took effect, Israel launched a sudden and devastating assault on Lebanon. The reason? An allegation that Hezbollah had violated the agreement. 

Israeli intelligence claimed to have observed suspicious activity—movement near the no-go zone, alleged violations of the ceasefire terms, and potential threats to their security. According to Israeli officials, these actions justified an immediate military response.

In response, Hezbollah commanders stated that even after the agreement, the Israeli army had stationed planes at a Lebanese airbase and was preparing to launch strikes from there.

They added that Israel is carrying out everything under the supervision of the UN and US monitoring groups, but Israel never faces any consequences. However, if Lebanon makes any mistake, they are attacked.

However, the Israeli strikes continue without stopping. The skies over Lebanon erupted with fire as Israeli jets carried out relentless airstrikes. Homes crumbled under the weight of bombs, schools were reduced to rubble, and hospitals—already overwhelmed by months of war.

Lebanon, Already on its Knees, Bled Once More

These attacks were not just a violation of the ceasefire—it was a message. Israel’s actions spoke louder than any diplomatic statement: We do not trust peace, and we will not hesitate to destroy it if we feel threatened. The ceasefire, which had promised relief from violence, became a harsh reminder of how delicate peace is in this region.

Even the UN peacekeepers, who symbolize international help and hope, found themselves helpless, unable to do anything. Their mission to maintain peace had turned into a desperate attempt to survive the chaos unleashed upon them. The volunteers who had come to monitor and protect were now witnesses to the destruction they had hoped to prevent.

The delegation from Palestine is now looking at the possibility of a meeting in Cairo, where Palestinian leaders and Hamas representatives might discuss a strategy for a ceasefire in Palestine. The meeting is set to take place in Cairo, and they hope to find a way to implement a truce in Palestine.

The world knows that such meetings have happened many times before and have failed, so now we wait to see what will come of this one and what the next steps will be. 

However, on the same day as the December 2 meeting, Israel carried out an airstrike on Gaza’s crowded market while people were just starting to gather for a meal. The airstrikes continued throughout the day, forcing many people to flee and displace them once again.

Israel’s attack on Gaza, which is entering its eighth month of ethnic cleansing, is taking new, dangerous turns. What started as hidden attacks now threaten to be a full-blown war between Israeli forces and the Irani-backed militant group in the region – Hezbollah.

However, the prospect of a full-scale war terrifies people on both sides. Aid agencies, including the United Nations, fear the war would be a “catastrophe that goes beyond the border and imagination.” Israel’s open military offensive in southern Lebanon would also risk an Iranian response.

Here’s a detailed report:

Israel-Hezbollah Escalation

While initially caught off-guard, Hezbollah has been supporting its regional ally- Hamas-ever since Israel initiated the Gaza genocide on 7th October. The two sides have exchanged near-daily cross-border strikes.

Till now, over 450 Lebanese, including fighters from the Hezbollah and allied groups and 80 civilians, have lost their lives. On Israel’s side, 16 soldiers and 11 civilians have been killed. The escalation has forced tens of thousands of residents on both sides of the border to be displaced – with no hope of returning any time soon.

But, the escalation simmering for months is now catching sparks. Last week, the Israel army disclosed it has “approved and validated” an offensive plan in Lebanon. In response, the militant group released surveillance drone videos of areas deep inside Israel’s border.

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah warned Israel and the world at large, “Whoever thinks of war against us will regret it.” He ended by saying if a war broke out, Hezbollah would fight without limits.

The militia leader also thwarted any prospect of a cease-fire on the Israel-Lebanon border, unless there’s one in Gaza.

Hezbollah is Not Hamas

In his last Wednesday speech, Nasrallah said that militant leaders from Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Iran, and other Middle Eastern countries are offering to send thousands of fighters to help Hezbollah in the fight against Israel. But, with over 100,000 trained fighters, Hezbollah already holds one of the most potent militant armies in the region.

International government and aid agencies fear a war between Israel and Hezbollah will be more brutal and catastrophic than the Gaza crisis because it could put the entire region into war.

But, while the crippling economy of Lebanon puts Hezbollah at a disadvantage, taking apart the militant group’s military powers in days is a far taller task. Since the Israel-Lebanon war, both sides have been preparing for a chance to settle scores.

Hezbollah’s arsenal includes at least 150,000 missiles and rockets. With over 100,000 fighters, the group’s sophisticated attacks – like the largest rocket attack on 5th July – even surprised Israeli officials. They have shot down top-of-the-line Israeli drones and hit the Iron Dome batteries and anti-drone defenses.

Last month, the Iran-backed group shocked the world when it published drone footage of Israel’s highly sensitive public and military infrastructure. The most astonishing of which is Israel’s secret nuclear base.

The International Response to the Israel-Hezbollah Tensions

With the escalations only increasing, an all-out war can even drag the US into conflict with Iran. It could set the entire region on fire. That’s why the United States has drawn a red line on Hezbollah with a warning. It said the group should not assume that the US can stop Israel from attacking them.

And while the warning is conveyed indirectly because America doesn’t engage with the military group one-on-one, the message from the US officials is clear. The warning aims to get Hezbollah to back down. The officials also declared the US’s support to Israel in case Hezbollah retaliates.

After weeks of silence, Iran has warned Israel of an “obliterated war.” The escalating tension is also worrying the international community. This week, Germany, Canada, and the Netherlands immediately urged their citizens to leave Lebanon. Many are re-routing their flights into Lebanon and warning travelers to “strongly reconsider” traveling to the conflicted country.

The world is trying to slow down the tension, but the escalation is only spiraling to a new height in recent weeks as Israel’s attack on Hamas intensifies.

The Brewing Israel-Hezbollah War

Israel has effectively lost sovereignty in the northern part of the country due to consistent cross-border attacks by the group. The statement came before the Thursday attack where Hezbollah fired 200 rockets into the Israeli border – making it the biggest attack in the monthlong conflict. An Aljazeera report showed that since 7th October the two sides have shared 7400 attacks.

Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant said that while the country is trying to prevent a wider war, its military is capable of getting “Lebanon back to the stone age.” The statement came as Israel is downshifting its military in Gaza and refocusing its resources on the northern Israel-Lebanon border.

But, while both countries do not want a full-scale war, in case a ceasefire deal fails in Gaza, a large-scale Israel-Hezbollah war can break out in the next several weeks – one that’ll be far worse than the last time around.

Despite Lebanon’s economic and security problems, an extremist Christian group has emerged.

Many Lebanese people had questions about who these people were, who financed them, and what their agenda was, with supporters and opponents divided.

who are “Soldiers of God”?

A group of young men calling themselves “Soldiers of God” march out against the Lebanese with swords, sharpened crosses, uniform black clothing, and religious hymns and prayers in the Achrafieh district of Beirut.

As a result, there were many questions about their identity, tendencies, ideas, beliefs, goals, and supporters, with very few answers, which exacerbated the ambiguity and general suspicion.

In the Achrafieh region, on the tenth of December, a dispute took place in Sassine Square between a group of young men from outside the Christian-majority region, who arrived on motorcycles flying Moroccan, Palestinian, and Syrian flags to celebrate the victory of the Moroccan national team and its qualifying for the World Cup semi-finals.

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Soon, the celebration turned into launching religious and sectarian slogans of an Islamic nature, which provoked some Christian youths in the region, leading to a major conflict and disagreement in which the “Soldiers of God” emerged after some of them intervened, before the military and security forces separated the combatants.

A Prelude to Civil War

A report by the Army Intelligence indicated that members of a group calling itself “Soldiers of God” rose that night in the “Tayouneh crime”, on October 15, 2021, when members of the Lebanese Forces opened fire on demonstrators, killing seven and wounding dozens.

To ratchet up sectarian tensions, crosses and religious slogans were drawn and written in several eastern neighborhoods before the ambush. Social media incitement was there at the same time.

 According to the records, many of them deployed and “are on alert without visible weapons” at several points.

Also read: The Church in Lebanon defends normalization in the name of religion

The documents also listed the names of members of this gang who took part in the shooting and revealed their connections to and funding from Anton Sehnaoui, the chairman of the Societe Générale Bank’s board of directors.

Christian soldiers are closer than the security forces

A woman was robbed in Achrafieh, B according to a deputy in Parliament, who claimed that after she went to the Achrafieh police station to report the crime, the soldiers of God showed up at her house and, when she asked how they knew, said that the police station had informed them of the incident.

According to a statement,No contact was received in this regard from a woman with any of the Achrafieh, Gemmayzeh, and Al-Nahar factions.

Also, the last two factions have moved since 11-25-2022 to another building due to maintenance work in the old building as a result of the Beirut port explosion, and until this moment, work is underway to install landline phone numbers in these two factions.

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The Beirut Police Operations Room after reviewing the recordings did not receive any communication from a woman in this regard.

The agenda of the Soldiers of God comes under the framework of self-protection aimed at renouncing any sect that is outside the Christian sect and does not follow the teachings of the Church, and this may be a precursor to a civil and bloody war in Lebanon, and it is indispensable for it.