From South to North: Ongoing Violations Must End — Ceasefire Commitments and IHL Obligations Must Be Respected
As of today, six months have passed since the announcement of a ceasefire that was intended to put an end to hostilities between Israel and Lebanon. Yet military actions and occupation of territory continue, with near-daily airstrikes, shelling, and airspace violations continuing to impact communities across Lebanon.
The impact of Israel's ongoing military offensive in Lebanon has been devastating. Israel continues to violate the ceasefire through relentless airstrikes, ground operations and de facto occupation of Lebanese territory. According to the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health, as of March 20, 2025, the Israeli invasion of Lebanon killed 4,267 people and injured 17,579 more, while armed groups in Lebanon are reported to have killed 127 people. This underscores the deeply disproportionate impact of the hostilities. Since the declaration of ceasefire, the Government of Lebanon has reported at least 150 additional casualties due to Israeli airstrikes, notably in the South, Baalbek and Beirut Southern suburbs.
While the cessation of hostilities allowed for the return of approximately 965,000 internally displaced people within two weeks, nearly 93,000 people remain displaced. Many are living in precarious conditions, unable to return to areas that remain unsafe or have been completely destroyed. Large parts of the South and Nabatiyeh Governorates remain inaccessible due to occupation, active hostilities, or unexploded ordnance. Entire villages have been reduced to rubble, contaminated by unexploded ordnance. Civilian infrastructure, including homes, schools, and agricultural land, has been damaged or destroyed, rendering large stretches of land uninhabitable. Medical infrastructure, ambulances, aid workers and hospitals were systematically attacked. A de facto “no man’s land” has emerged along Lebanon’s southern border, blocking any meaningful return or reconstruction.
- The border villages suffered the most… destroying our homes, leaving nothing in the village - no buildings, no walls, no mosques, no school." Zaynab, a mother in her 40s, displaced from a border village in South Lebanon.
Israeli forces continue to occupy at least 5 areas of Lebanese territory, in blatant violation of Lebanon’s sovereignty and of international law. Reports also indicate the use of indiscriminate violence against civilians in areas unilaterally designated by Israel as “no-go zones” for civilians.