On October 7, 2023, Hamas launched a coordinated attack against Israel. The attack took place on Shemini Atzeret which is a Jewish holiday, celebrating the end of the Autumn Thanksgiving festival. Because it was a holiday, many IDF soldiers were on leave, and Hamas was able to tactically launch rockets into Israel. The large amounts of rockets were able to overwhelm Israel’s Iron Dome defenses, and the results were devastating. Not only were results devastating for the lost families and the 240 Israeli hostages which were taken, but they would soon be for all of the Middle East. Although the conflict begun as early as 1948 when Israel was created on Palestinian land against the wishes of the Palestinian people, Hamas’ attack served as a catalyst for tragic fatalities on both end. After the attack, the conflict before drastically escalated. Due to the increased attention it brought, external forces had become involved. On October 8, 2023, Hezbollah, a Lebanese military group, attacked Israel in solidarity with Hamas. Currently between Isreal and Hezbollah combined, there have been over 4,400 rocket, missile, and stand-off attacks.
Throughout the conflict between Hezbollah and Israel, both sides have committed heinous war crimes. Hezbollah has repeatedly violated the UN Security Council Resolution of 1701, which establishes the Blue Line. The Blue Line serves as “a key to peace in the region” and resides along Lebanon’s southern frontier and Israel’s northern border. It was originally created to determine whether Israel had withdrawn from Lebanon during prior conflict. All countries must gain the approval of the UNIFIL before taking activities close to the Blue Line, and attacking there is prohibited. However, Hezbollah had begun attacking across the Blue Line. Utilizing the originally protected zone, Hezbollah deployed forces across it and fired guided missiles against Israel. In addition, Hezbollah had admitted to carrying out 670 attacks against Israeli military targets and targeting civilian neighborhoods using the Blue Line.
Israel has also committed war crimes. Because Israel easily detects and targets mobile phones, Hezbollah has moved to pagers as their main messaging device. However, from September 17-18 of 2024, thousands of pagers and radios used by Hezbollah members and civilians exploded. These attacks have resulted in 30 killed and more than 3,000 wounded. US officials have reported that this attack was carried out by Israel to disrupt communication. Many analysts and politicians consider this attack a war crime. Israel’s attack qualifies as a non-international armed conflict, and these attacks are governed by international humanitarian law. In international law, the principal of distinction states that while combatant groups like Hezbollah are lawful targets, it is prohibited to attack civilians. Despite being targeted towards Hezbollah members, Israel’s attack also affected normal civilians using radios and pagers during the attack. Even if only Hezbollah members were using radios and pagers, this act would still be a war crime. Stated by the IHL, a civilian is only considered a “combatant” if they take part in a direct attack. Medical and religious personnel of Hezbollah would still be considered civilians and be protected by this law. The attacks on September 17-18 had killed several civilians, including a 9 year old daughter of a Hezbollah member, a 11 year old boy, and several health workers. Launching an attack without knowledge of unintended harm or destruction is also a war crime in the International Criminal Court. Israel has also conducted war crimes towards Palestine according to the UN commission by its plans to destroy Gaza’s healthcare system, targeted attacks on medical personnel, school shelters, and facilities. One attack on a school shelter killed four children, although Israel claimed that there was a Hamas sniper hiding among the civilians.
The Israel and Hezbollah conflict has had devastating and irreversible impacts on both sides. Hezbollah has been severely weakened over time, especially after the assassination of their key leader Ibrahim Aqil. Thousands of residents have also been displaced while fleeing Israeli air strikes, having to move north. Israel has also experienced civilian loses and risked the threat of an all-out war due to Iran’s interference. Despite efforts to exchange fire along shared boundary and agreed-upon red lines to not intentionally target civilians, risks to involve Iran and the US into direct confrontation have increased. There has also been controversy surrounding red lines, as Hezbollah has claimed Israel crossed “all red lines.” Both sides faced the threat of mutually assured destruction. To alleviate concerns of war and prevent further destruction, the US and France have brokered a ceasefire for Hezbollah and Israel.
The ceasefire agreement took place on November 26, 2024 and both Israel and Hezbollah agreed. The ceasefire would take affect the next day, and all fighting would end at 4AM local time. Israel would have 60 days to withdraw all forces as Lebanon’s army retakes control near its border to ensure that Hezbollah does not rebuild infrastructure. 5,000 Lebanon troops would be deployed to put an end to any Hezbollah groups. That way, there would be an ideal permanent end to any hostilities. Civilians would then have the chance to safely return to their communities. This truce has the chance to help the 1.2 million Lebanese displaced, and the tens of thousands of Israelis along the border who left their homes. Both sides reserved their right to strike the other if the terms were violated.
Despite having a ceasefire, tensions remain higher than ever. Many doubt that the ceasefire can hold, since both claimed that the other has violated it on Nov. 29. The ceasefire agreements state that Israel could not carry out offensive operations in Lebanese territory, but there have been several incidents of Israel attacking within Lebanon. On Dec. 1, Israel launched an attack over a Lebanese border village. Israel later claimed that this was done to combat possible Hezbollah attacks. The Lebanese military did not take any clear action, but they have filed complaints. Lebanese authorities have also reported incidents of Israeli mortar attacks, with strikes and shots fired at people trying to return to their homes. The National news Agency of Lebanon has also reported Israel tank fire hitting villages and farms. The IDF claimed that this was because several suspects were identified arriving to an area, so they had opened fire. Israel claims ceasefire violations as the IDF has identified terrorists arriving at infrastructure sites used to fire projectiles. To defend Israel’s attacks after the ceasefire, they claim that these are only done to prevent the advancing of additional terrorists, and lessen further casualties.
The militant group Hezbollah acknowledged these incidents but is yet to issue a public statement. Hezbollah lawmaker Hassan Fadlallah claimed that they did not want to rush things, but would retain their right to self-defense if necessary. Lebanon currently focuses on trying to return to a normal life after the war, which indicates hope for the shaky ceasefire. Despite doubts surrounding the ceasefire, neither has wanted to break it. Displaced civilians in Israel and Lebanon have been slow in returning to their homes due to this havoc, so it could take a long time for both countries to heal after the war. However, with the help of outside countries along with cooperation and communication from both sides, it is still possible that we will see forever peace between these two nations. Although shaky, this ceasefire could be a beacon of hope for affected families on both sides. The ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel is not just a promise of peace between them, but a possible future sign of a ceasefire between Palestine and Israel, and peace along the Middle East.
Written by Claire Liu
