The latest on the war in the Middle East

In Israel’s northern city of Nahariya, residents seemed skeptical of the viability of a ceasefire deal between their country and Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Shani, a nail technician who has lived in the Nahariya for 15 years, said that she did not believe a ceasefire deal with Hezbollah would keep her safe.

“I don’t think it’s good for the war,” she told CNN. “In 20, 30 years, it (Hezbollah) will come back bigger and stronger.”

Nahariya is just 6 miles (10 kilometers) from the border with Lebanon, where the Israeli army has been exchanging fire with Hezbollah for more than a year.

The war “doesn’t really end with a ceasefire,” Shani said, adding that she expects the calm to last a week or two, and that the fighting will inevitably return.

Guy Amilani, a resident of the nearby Kibbutz Eilon who was in Nahariya for the afternoon, said he hopes a ceasefire with Hezbollah brings peace, but did not believe any cessation of hostilities will be permanent.

Asked what he hopes a deal will bring, Amilani said, “I want to say quiet, but we saw in October (2023) what the cost of quiet was,” referring to October 8 of last year, when Hezbollah began firing at the Israeli-held Shebaa Farms, triggering what became over a year of exchanged strikes.

“It will be two years of quiet then they (Hezbollah) will start to shoot again,” he said. “Then in 30 or 40 years, my kids will guard the Kibbutz gates from whatever evil will come.”