Attacks and Displacement Continue in Lebanon: NGOs Call for a Genuine and Lasting Ceasefire

Humanity & Inclusion (HI), among other member organizations of the Lebanon Humanitarian INGO Forum (LHIF), signed a joint statement calling on the international community to leverage diplomatic avenues and sustain a permanent ceasefire.

 

A ceasefire in name only

On May 16, a temporary ceasefire was declared between Lebanon and Israel; on April 17, it was renewed for a second time, following negotiations brokered by the United States. Yet hostilities are ongoing, albeit somewhat reduced in intensity and geographic scope, and Lebanon continues to face a severe humanitarian emergency.

The ceasefire agreement did not provide for the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanese territory. It included language permitting Israel to ‘take all necessary measures in self-defense, at any time, against planned, imminent, or ongoing attacks’. Since its declaration, Israeli attacks have continued daily - targeting the south, the Bekaa valley, and, on one occasion, the southern suburbs of Beirut -raising serious concerns for the protection of civilians. Over 600 people have been killed in Lebanon since the ceasefire was declared, many of them women, children, and emergency responders.

Numerous incidents raise serious questions regarding compliance with International Humanitarian Law, including the principles of distinction and proportionality. Entire families have been hit in airstrikes, with men and women being killed alongside their children and grandchildren. Health and rescue workers have been killed when they arrive at attack scenes, continuing the trend of ‘double tap’ strikes (even triple or quadruple in some cases) seen since the start of the escalation.

The psychological impact of the ongoing hostilities cannot be underestimated. The fear and panic stirred by repeated attacks and displacement orders are heightened by periodic sonic booms and the near-constant sound of overhead drones throughout the country’s airspace. Meanwhile, a generation of children and young people have seen their education disrupted by the conversion of public schools into shelters, for the second time in two years.

The situation within the Israeli-defined military zone in southern Lebanon is particularly concerning. Multiple villages have been completely destroyed, while repeated displacement orders, military presence, and access restrictions continue to prevent people from returning. Remaining communities face critical disruptions to essential supplies and services. According to the National Center for Scientific Research, over 10,000 housing units have been damaged or destroyed since the ceasefire was declared. Humanitarian actors continue to operate in the area, but access is increasingly challenging.

Meanwhile, Hezbollah has, after an initial pause, resumed cross-border attacks into northern Israel, reportedly killing seven Israeli soldiers and one civilian contractor. For both parties to this conflict, this has become a ceasefire in name only.

More than 3,000 people have been killed in Lebanon since the escalation began on March 2, including over 290 women, 200 children, and 100 health workers, while more than 9,000 have been injured, according to Lebanon’s Ministry of Public Health. One million people remain internally displaced, residing in collective shelters across the country, unstable rented accommodation, with host families, or in informal settings such as cars, garages, and public spaces.

Amid the insecurity, NGOs continue to respond to the needs of displaced populations who cannot return home due to ongoing insecurity and widespread destruction. The number of displaced people is now rising, not falling, as families attempt to return only to be forced to flee yet again. Inside and outside shelters, there is an urgent need for basic supplies, such as food, safe water, medicine, and hygiene items. NGOs are operating mobile clinics to deliver emergency healthcare and provide nutrition and psychosocial support services, notably for pregnant women, new mothers, and young children.

Shelters are being urgently rehabilitated to improve water and sanitation facilities and enhance privacy and protection for the vulnerable. But in a strained funding climate, needs far outstrip available resources, and continue to increase with no end to the displacement in sight.

Call to Action

The trend of expanding and intensifying violence must not be allowed to continue. Civilians at the center of this crisis have suffered for too long: they must be enabled to return home safely and securely, to begin rebuilding their lives.

International, National, and Local NGOs in Lebanon call on all parties to the conflict to:

• Cease all attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure, and commit to a genuine and permanent end to hostilities;
• Ensure safe, rapid, and unimpeded humanitarian access to all affected communities, particularly in southern Lebanon;
• Facilitate the safe, voluntary, and dignified return of displaced communities by creating the conditions necessary for return, including the removal of military personnel and assets from civilian areas.

We call on the international community to:

• Deploy all available diplomatic levers to secure and sustain a full and permanent ceasefire;
• Support independent, impartial investigations into reported violations of International Humanitarian Law, including attacks on civilians, healthcare, and civilian infrastructure, and grave violations against children.
• Urgently mobilize sustained and flexible funding to enable the humanitarian community to both meet immediate needs and support early recovery and reconstruction.

Signatories:

Acted

Action Against Hunger

Action Aid

Anera

Arche Nova

ARCS Culture Solidali

Asmae - Association Soeur Emmanuelle

AVSI

Bioforce

CAFOD

Caritas Austria

Caritas Germany

Caritas Switzerland

Catholic Relief Services CESVI

Comitato Internazionale per lo Sviluppo

dei Popoli

Clovek v Ohrozeni

Concern Worldwide

COOPI

Corus

Danmission

DanChurchAid Lebanon

Danish Refugee Council

Dorcas Aid International

Fondation Mérieux

HEKS/EPER

HelpAge International

Humanity & Inclusion

Humedica

IECD

INSO

INTERSOS

Islamic Relief Worldwide

Lebanon Johanniter

International Assistance

JRS Lebanon

Jusoor

La Chaîne de l'Espoir

Legal Action Worldwide

Malteser International

Médecins du Monde

Mennonite

Central Committee

Mercy Corps

Mines Advisory Group

Norwegian Church Aid

Norwegian People’s Aid

Norwegian Refugee Council

Oxfam in Lebanon

Plan International Lebanon

Première Urgence Internationale

Relief International

Right to Play

SAMS

Save the Children

Search for Common Ground

Secours Islamique France

Solidarités International

Swisscontact

Taawon

Tearfund UK

Terre des hommes Italy

Terre des hommes Lausanne

Trocaire Un Ponte Per

War Child Holland

Welthungerhilfe

WeWorld