
Like tens of thousands of Lebanon’s displaced, Hussein Mallah headed to the southern suburbs of Beirut at the break of dawn on Wednesday.
The truce between Hezbollah and Israel had just begun, ending a two-month war. Mallah says he took to repairing his home and businesses “almost immediately.”
“My 24/7 bakery is going to be open for business tonight,” said Mallah on Friday, his chest widening and his voice bursting with triumph. Behind him, five employees, decked out in the bakery’s red and white uniform, were refitting the countertops at the storefront.
It was the third day of an increasingly uneasy ceasefire. The Israeli military had just issued an order demanding that Lebanese inhabitants of the country’s southern-most villages refrain from returning to their homes.
The nascent agreement is in its most fragile state. In the 60-day aftermath of the deal, Israel will withdraw its forces as the Lebanese army ramps up its presence in south Lebanon to ensure that the area is free of Hezbollah’s arms. But a complete absence of trust between the two sides – officially enemy states – means that the phased unfolding of the deal could fall apart at any moment, with both sides already accusing the other of violating the ceasefire agreement.
There have been a number of reports of Israeli forces on the Lebanese side of the border firing at people and villages, while Israel claims it has observed Hezbollah regrouping.