Israel's 10,000+ Ceasefire Violations Raise Questions About Peace Deals

What does a ceasefire mean when one side continues attacking? This question haunts the Middle East as Israel maintains its military operations against Lebanon despite a November 2024 truce agreement with Hezbollah.

On Friday, an Israeli drone strike killed two people at the Ein el-Hilweh Palestinian refugee camp near Sidon in southern Lebanon. The attack targeted what Israel called a "Hamas command center," though the building was reportedly being used as a kitchen for food aid distribution.

Hamas dismissed the Israeli claims as "fabrication," insisting it doesn't operate training facilities in Lebanese refugee camps. But the strike represents something larger: a pattern of violations that has rendered the ceasefire agreement nearly meaningless.

The Numbers Tell a Story

Since the truce took effect, Israel has launched more than 10,000 air and ground attacks on Lebanon, according to UN data. These aren't isolated incidents or minor skirmishes—they represent a systematic continuation of military operations under the guise of "responding to ceasefire violations."

The human cost is stark: at least 108 civilians killed since the ceasefire, including 21 women and 16 children, verified by the UN rights office. Last November, another major Israeli raid on the same refugee camp killed 13 people, 11 of them children.

Israel continues to occupy five areas of Lebanese territory, preventing reconstruction of destroyed border villages and blocking tens of thousands of displaced people from returning home.

The Logic of Selective Enforcement

From Israel's perspective, these aren't ceasefire violations but necessary security responses. The military frames each strike as targeting Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, or other armed groups that pose threats to Israeli security.

This logic creates a convenient loophole: any perceived threat justifies military action, effectively nullifying the ceasefire's core premise of mutual restraint. It's a unilateral interpretation of a bilateral agreement.

Lebanon has filed complaints with the UN Security Council, demanding Israel end its attacks and fully withdraw. But international mechanisms for enforcement remain weak, especially when one party claims self-defense.

The Bigger Pattern

This isn't just about Lebanon and Israel. It reflects a broader challenge in modern conflict resolution: what happens when ceasefire agreements lack effective enforcement mechanisms?

Traditional ceasefires assumed both parties wanted peace enough to respect mutual restraint. But when one side maintains military superiority and faces domestic pressure to appear strong, the incentives shift. Why honor a ceasefire when violations carry no meaningful consequences?

The international community faces its own dilemma. Condemning violations is easy; stopping them is far harder, especially when geopolitical alliances complicate enforcement.

The Cost of Paper Peace

For Lebanese civilians, particularly in border areas and refugee camps, the ceasefire exists only on paper. They live under the constant threat of drone strikes, unable to rebuild their communities or return to normal life.

The Ein el-Hilweh camp, home to thousands of Palestinian refugees, has become a symbol of this vulnerability. Residents face the double burden of displacement and ongoing military attacks, with little recourse for protection.