The fragile ceasefire in southern Lebanon has collapsed. Israeli troops resumed ground operations early this morning, shattering a brief 48-hour lull that had offered a glimmer of hope to displaced families on both sides of the border. The renewed clashes come just hours after a United Nations-mediated truce had allowed humanitarian convoys to reach the hardest-hit villages.
Eyewitnesses report heavy artillery and airstrikes near the village of Kafr Kila, a flashpoint that has seen some of the most intense fighting. Israeli officials claim the operation was necessary to destroy Hezbollah tunnel networks that were being repaired under the cover of the ceasefire. Hezbollah has denied the allegation, accusing Israel of violating the truce without provocation.
For ordinary Lebanese, the resumption of violence is a crushing psychological blow. “We had just started to breathe again,” said Fatima al-Husseini, a mother of three sheltering in a school in Sidon. “Now there is no safe place left.” Thousands had begun returning to their homes only to be forced back into shelters as the bombs fell again.
The UK government has responded with a carefully worded statement, expressing “deep concern” and calling on both sides to “show maximum restraint and return to the ceasefire framework.” British diplomats are pressing for an emergency session of the UN Security Council. However, with the US focused on other crises and regional powers divided, the prospects for a durable peace look dim.
Humanitarian organisations warn that the collapse of the ceasefire will compound an already catastrophic situation. The Lebanese health ministry reports that over 1,500 people have been killed and more than a million displaced since the escalation began. Hospitals are overwhelmed, and basic supplies like food, water, and medicine are running short.
On the Israeli side, the government faces internal pressure from communities in the north, where rocket fire from Lebanon has forced evacuations and disrupted daily life. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the operation would continue until “security is restored” but gave no timeline.
The timing of the breakdown is particularly worrying. It follows a series of diplomatic failures and undermines the credibility of international mediators. For the families caught in the middle, the price of this failure is measured in lives lost and futures shattered. The UK’s call for restraint, while necessary, echoes earlier pleas that were ignored. The real question is whether anything can stop the cycle of violence before it spirals further.
