The United Nations and humanitarian organizations cautiously welcomed the 10-day ceasefire in Lebanon that took effect at midnight local time on Friday. According to aid agencies, some displaced families have begun returning to Beirut’s southern suburbs and southern Lebanon. Meanwhile, the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) reports that its peacekeepers have not detected any projectiles fired from north to south or airstrikes in their area of operations since midnight.
The human cost of the war has been devastating. Lebanese officials report that Israeli attacks between March 2 and April 16 killed nearly 2,200 people and injured thousands more. Healthcare facilities and workers have been attacked, and critical infrastructure — roads, bridges, and homes — has been destroyed or severely damaged.
Through his spokesperson, UN Secretary-General António Guterres welcomed the announcement of the 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon on Thursday evening. Guterres reaffirmed the United Nations' support for all efforts to end hostilities and alleviate the suffering of communities on both sides of the Blue Line.
“The Secretary-General hopes that this ceasefire will pave the way for negotiations and the full implementation of Security Council resolution 1701 (2006) towards a long-term solution to the conflict,” said his spokesman Stéphane Dujarric.
Guterres urges all parties to respect the ceasefire and comply with their obligations under international law, including international humanitarian law, “at all times.”
Aid agencies on the ground in Lebanon say that some displaced families are beginning to return to the southern suburbs of Beirut and southern Lebanon, including parts of Nabatieh and Tyre.
However, in a statement on Friday, the Norwegian Refugee Council cautioned that the people of Lebanon need a permanent ceasefire, not another fragile pause.
“After 46 days of horrific violence, the ceasefire in Lebanon is a moment of hope for civilians across the country. The ceasefire offers people a chance to breathe and to end a conflict that has killed more than 2,000 people and injured many thousands,” said Jan Egeland, NRC Secretary General.
According to local authorities, thousands of people traveled south early Friday morning, causing congestion on major roads, particularly near the villages of Qasmiyeh and Zefta in southern Lebanon, despite extensive damage to bridges and infrastructure.
“Across the country, roads are already congested with hopeful families trying to return to their homes. That alone shows how deeply people want this war to end. All parties must now commit to a permanent ceasefire,” Egeland said.
Yet, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) warned that risks to people’s safety persist, including unexploded ordnance in many residential areas across the South and Nabatieh governorates.
As of 5 p.m. in Lebanon, OCHA reported that 113,000 people were in collective shelters, down from 141,000 on Thursday. More than 1.2 million people were displaced during the latest escalation, including over 200,000 who crossed into neighboring Syria.
Egeland stressed that the “fragile truce must not be undermined,” warning that “we cannot afford a repeat of the ineffective 2024 ceasefire, which saw countless violations.”
“Worryingly, there are already reports of violations by the Israeli army, which also issued a warning against civilians returning to their homes south of the Litani river, home to hundreds of thousands of people,” he added.
“Civilians need more than a temporary reduction in violence while obstacles to return remain in place. The people of Lebanon do not need another fragile pause. They need a permanent ceasefire.”
Aid agencies warn that the humanitarian crisis is massive, with more than a fifth of the population displaced.
“For this ceasefire to be meaningful for civilians, it must lead to a real and durable halt in hostilities. It must ensure the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure, and clear conditions for safe return. It must come with increased international support for humanitarian aid,” Egeland said.
“People must not be prevented from returning to their homes, whether through continued military presence, renewed violations, or destruction that renders areas uninhabitable.”
In a statement on Friday, Islamic Relief expressed hope that the ceasefire will hold and urged governments with leverage, as well as all parties involved, to ensure its full respect.
However, it cautioned that the current ceasefire only applies to areas of Lebanon north of the Litani River and only selectively covers air-based attacks, while the Israeli ground invasion remains unchanged. It also emphasized that many Lebanese people fear the ceasefire is temporary and that fighting could resume.
“The humanitarian needs in Lebanon are now massive. The people of the country are desperately in need of support and humanitarian assistance which can only be implemented fully when the bombs stop falling,” said Akram Sadeq, the country director of Islamic Relief Lebanon.
Several other humanitarian organizations, including Plan International, the International Rescue Committee, Save the Children, and Oxfam, have welcomed the ceasefire and joined calls for a permanent cessation of hostilities. After a month and a half of intense and deadly Israeli bombardment, they warn that uncertainty and fear persist among Lebanese civilians, as the ten-day ceasefire appears fragile.
In addition, aid agencies and the United Nations are urging donors to significantly scale up funding. The Lebanon Humanitarian Flash Appeal requires US$308 million to support one million people affected by the conflict. As of today, however, only $84 million has been provided, leaving the plan less than 28 percent funded.
Although the ceasefire has brought a brief pause in fighting, humanitarian organizations warn that, without a lasting agreement, the risk of renewed violence remains high, and millions of civilians continue to face an uncertain future.