Will a ceasefire with Hezbollah last?

Peace is closer than ever in Lebanon – which is why we’ve seen more bloodshed this week.  

As this is published, Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, is expected to announce his government has accepted a ceasefire with the Lebanese militia Hezbollah, on terms negotiated by US officials. That explains the surge in violence over the past week. Israel has been rushing to maximise its gains, destroying as much Hezbollah infrastructure as possible; Hezbollah has been desperately trying to increase its leverage while the final details of the truce are settled. 

On Sunday, Hezbollah sent some 250 rockets into Israel. It was one of the largest attacks since the group started firing missiles in support of Hamas in Gaza more than a year ago. One local council in northern Israel announced that children would now be taught only in classrooms that were less than 30 seconds from a bomb shelter. On Saturday, Israel dropped a massive ‘bunker-buster’ to bring down a tower block in the heart of Beirut, reportedly targeting a senior Hezbollah commander.