Mohamed Fahmy: Israel and Lebanon will not be at peace so long as Hezbollah remains standing

BEIRUT — The Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire is becoming increasingly fragile as casualties mount and the Lebanese government struggles to deliver on its pledge to disarm Hezbollah. What was presented as a critical step toward restoring Lebanon’s sovereignty now risks becoming little more than a mirage.

I sat by the plane’s window as Beirut’s Mediterranean coastline came into view. As we landed, the cabin erupted in applause — a familiar Lebanese tradition celebrating a safe arrival. I joined in, but I wasn’t clapping for the pilot. I was applauding the resilience of passengers returning home despite the constant news of war, destruction and the rising death toll in southern Lebanon.

My first question to the cab driver, as he sped toward my hotel along the virtually empty corniche on a weekend afternoon, with the Mediterranean stretching out beside us, was simple: “How is tourism these days?”

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“The corniche is usually bumper-to-bumper on a Saturday. Look at it now — it’s almost empty,” he said. “Westerners are afraid to come, and Gulf countries have warned their citizens against travelling here. We rely heavily on Lebanese living abroad for summer visits and the dollars they bring. It’s all because of the war — it could resume at any moment.”

While more than 800,000 displaced Lebanese people have returned to their homes in the south since the June ceasefire, my driver and his family remain among the hundreds of thousands still internally displaced. They are living in temporary housing, collective shelters or with host families, unable to return to their villages. Tensions there peaked in March after Hezbollah fired missiles at Israel, days after the United States and Israel began attacking Iran.

“Do you think the Lebanese army will be able to disarm Hezbollah, as agreed under the U.S.-brokered deal between Israel and the Lebanese government?” I asked.

“It will never happen. The military does not recruit members based on political affiliation, but more than half of the army is Shiite Muslim. Many of sons serving in the army remain loyal to or sympathize with Hezbollah,” he said.