Lebanese Army completes first phase of disarming Hezbollah
by Dalal Saoud · UPIBEIRUT, Lebanon, Jan. 8 (UPI) -- The Lebanese Army said Thursday that it has completed the first phase of its plan to disarm Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, pledging to prevent the area from being used as a launching ground for any military actions -- a move Israel described as "encouraging," but insufficient.
Army Commander Gen. Rodolph Haykal presented a report to the Lebanese Cabinet on the progress made in disarming Iran-backed Hezbollah, confirming that his plan to confine weapons has entered "an advanced stage."
Haykal said the Army has established "operational control" over the area stretching from south of the Litani River in southern Lebanon to the Israeli border, except for sites still under Israeli occupation.
The Army report indicated that Israel's continued aggressions on Lebanese territory -- including the occupation of positions that restrict access to certain areas, the establishment of buffer zones and daily violations of the November 27, 2024, cease-fire agreement -- "negatively affect the completion of the required tasks" and hinder the extension of state authority.
It affirmed the Army's full commitment to assuming and exercising "exclusive responsibility" for maintaining security and stability in Lebanon, particularly in the area south of the Litani River and along the southern border with Israel, ensuring that these areas "are not used for any military actions."
Since the 2024 truce accord brokered by the United States and France to end the war with Hezbollah, Israel -- operating with near-total freedom in Lebanon and imposing its own terms --has insisted on Hezbollah's complete disarmament.
Commenting on the Lebanese Army announcement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said that Hezbollah's disarmament was "imperative for Israel's security and Lebanon's future,"
Netanyahu's office said, in a statement published by The Times of Israel English-language website, that efforts by the Lebanese government and Army "are an encouraging beginning, but they are far from sufficient," accusing Hezbollah of rearming and rebuilding "its terror infrastructure with Iranian support."
The Times of Israel also quoted the Israeli Foreign Ministry as saying that "extensive Hezbollah military infrastructure still exists south of the Litani River," and that the mission to disarm the group in that area "remains far from being achieved."
Israel has refused to withdraw from five strategic positions it still occupies in southern Lebanon since it pulled out troops in line with the cease-fire accord. It also refrained from releasing Lebanese prisoners detained during the war and prevented displaced residents from returning to their border villages that has largely turned to ruin.
The Iran-backed group, which was severely weakened during the war that erupted after it opened a support front for Gaza on Oct. 8, 2023, has kept a low profile and refrained from retaliating.
While quietly attempting to reorganize its ranks and secure new channels for rearming and funding, Hezbollah refuses to lay down arms south of the Litani River as long as Israel does not abide by the truce accord.
Lebanese officials reiterated Thursday their commitment to Hezbollah's disarmament, while urging the international community to pressure Israel to withdraw from the five remaining occupied areas in southern Lebanon and stop its aggression. They also called for providing the Lebanese Army with weapons and funding to carry out its mission efficiently.
Information Minister Paul Morkos said after the Cabinet meeting that the Army will prepare a plan "to withdraw weapons" from north of the Litani River, which will be presented to the government in February.
Israel, which has escalated its attacks on alleged Hezbollah positions and operatives in recent days, has threatened to launch a wide-scale war against Lebanon to pressure the disarmament of the militant group.