One year after a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Lebanon — with the support of the Lebanese Hezbollah movement — came into effect, communities across Lebanon continue to endure near-daily attacks and live in constant fear. The fragile truce, which was intended to stop months of intense fighting, has been repeatedly violated by Israeli forces. They have killed and injured civilians, leaving the population vulnerable and hindering reconstruction efforts.
According to the UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR), at least 127 Lebanese civilians have been killed since the November 2024 ceasefire agreement. However, the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health reports much higher casualty numbers, stating that 331 civilians have died and 945 have been injured as a result of Israeli military operations since the ceasefire began.
The ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon took effect on November 27, 2024, ending the most severe hostilities. Yet, nearly daily violations of the ceasefire agreement are still being reported. Israeli strikes have damaged homes, villages, schools, and other public infrastructure. They have also targeted and attacked UNIFIL peacekeepers.
“Across Lebanon, families live with constant fear: that an airstrike could happen any minute near their home, their children’s school, or on their road to work,” said Maureen Philippon, the Norwegian Refugee Council's (NRC) Country Director in Lebanon, in a statement on Thursday.
“For a year now, airstrikes and shelling have persisted despite the ceasefire agreement. This is not what a ceasefire looks like.”
She stressed that, in addition to the physical impact, “the psychological scars are deep and lasting.”
“People across Lebanon live in a state of constant anxiety, fearful that any day could mark a return to full-scale conflict. A year on, Lebanese families deserve more than a fragile truce on paper. They deserve safety and a real chance to rebuild their lives,” Philippon added.
According to the November ceasefire agreement, Hezbollah troops were to move north of the Litani River, and Israeli troops were to withdraw from southern Lebanon. However, Israel continues to violate the ceasefire through persistent airstrikes, ground operations, and the de facto occupation of Lebanese territory.
In a statement on Thursday, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, the UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon, acknowledged the initial hope generated by the ceasefire agreement.
“One year ago, a Cessation of Hostilities Understanding came into effect, rapidly de-escalating two months of devastating hostilities and human suffering on both sides of the Blue Line,” she said.
She was referring to the Blue Line, a demarcation line which separates Lebanon from Israel and the Golan Heights — the subject of an ongoing border dispute between Israel, Lebanon, and the non-state armed group Hezbollah.
“The arrangement offered a ray of hope and raised expectations of more durable solutions, amidst a transformative period in the broader region,” Hennis-Plasschaert added.
However, she cautioned that “for too many Lebanese, the conflict is ongoing - albeit at a lower intensity,” and added that "as long as the current status quo continues, the specter of future hostilities will continue to loom large.”
Despite the ceasefire, civilians in Lebanon continue to be affected by Israeli military operations, exacerbating protection concerns, hindering the safe return of displaced people, and impeding humanitarian access in a country where more than 4 million people require support.
Israel's ongoing military operations in Lebanon are a primary cause of humanitarian needs, particularly in the south. According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), more than 64,000 people remain displaced across the country and are unable to return home due to widespread destruction and security risks.
Since last year's cessation of hostilities agreement, Israeli forces have carried out thousands of breaches. The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) has documented over 7,500 Israeli violations of airspace and nearly 2,500 ground violations, demonstrating a "total disregard for the ceasefire agreement."
Killing and injuring civilians
Despite the conditionally agreed upon ceasefire, Israeli forces have continued to conduct targeted airstrikes, violate Lebanese airspace, and make ground incursions into the country. These violations endanger children and families and undermine the safety and stability that civilians urgently need.
“Almost a year since the ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel was agreed, we continue to witness increasing attacks by the Israeli military resulting in the killing of civilians and destruction of civilian objects in Lebanon, coupled with alarming threats of a wider, intensified offensive,” said OHCHR spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheetan on Tuesday.
He added that Israeli attacks in Lebanon have not only killed and injured civilians but also destroyed and damaged civilian infrastructure, including housing units, roads, factories, and construction sites.
Al-Kheetan cited the recent strike on the Ein El-Hilweh camp for Palestinian refugees, which killed at least 13 civilians, including 11 children, last week.
"All the fatalities we have documented as a result of this strike were civilians, raising serious concerns that the Israeli military’s attack may have violated international humanitarian law principles on the conduct of hostilities," he said.
Al-Kheetan also highlighted an Israeli airstrike on November 16 that destroyed a cement and asphalt factory in Ansar — impacting reconstruction efforts and hindering attempts by internally displaced people to return to their homes in southern Lebanon.
“There must be prompt and impartial investigations into the Ein El-Hilweh strike, as well as all other incidents involving possible violations of international humanitarian law by all parties, both before and after the ceasefire. Those responsible must be held to account,” he said.
Accountability is lacking
On Thursday, the Danish Refugee Council (DRC) stressed that “accountability is absent,” one year on.
“Each strike on a home, each civilian life lost, is not only a tragedy but a failure to uphold international law. Continued impunity for violations of International Humanitarian and Human Rights Law cannot stand. There may not be active warfare, but there is still no peace,” DRC said in a statement.
The humanitarian organization noted that one year on, “countless Lebanese families still live under the shadow of fear”, and warned that the “ceasefire must not remain a broken promise.”
DRC called on all parties to the conflict and international stakeholders to act now to transform the fragile truce into lasting peace, “one built on accountability, justice, and the protection of human life.”
“People in Lebanon deserve peace, safety, and the chance to rebuild their lives with dignity,” the statement said.
Lebanon’s humanitarian crisis
Lebanon is grappling with its most severe humanitarian crisis since the 2006 Lebanon War due to a conflict that has killed over 4,500 people and injured over 18,000 — mostly within two months — causing significant displacement and widespread infrastructure damage.
Despite the November 2024 ceasefire, approximately 1.24 million Lebanese residents, as well as Syrian and Palestinian refugees, are experiencing high levels of acute food insecurity (IPC Phase 3 or worse). Of those, around 41,000 are classified in Phase 4 (Emergency), and 1.2 million are classified in Phase 3 (Crisis).
This situation is primarily driven by the prolonged impact of the conflict, ongoing displacement, and reduced humanitarian food security assistance. To date, only 58 percent of the Lebanon Flash Appeal 2025, which seeks $371.4 million, has been covered, with $217 million received.
Due to several large socioeconomic shocks, ongoing political instability, and the steep deterioration of the economy, Lebanon has been facing a complex humanitarian crisis dating back to late 2019. Hyperinflation, the depreciation of the Lebanese pound, and a lack of livelihood opportunities have exacerbated poverty and fueled hunger.
Additionally, Lebanon remains one of the world’s countries with the highest number of hosted refugees per capita.