The Lebanese army declared on Thursday it had achieved the goal of a state monopoly on arms in the country’s south, between the Litani river and the Israeli border, but said there was more work to be done to clear unexploded ordnance and tunnels in the area.
The announcement followed weeks of Israeli threats that a limited military operation may be required to remove the threat posed by the Iranian-backed Hizbullah from its northern border.
Israel has carried out almost daily strikes against Hizbullah during the ceasefire, claiming the government in Beirut is unable to confront the powerful Shia group that fought a year-long war with Israel, which ended in a November 2024 agreement stipulating only the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) will be allowed to carry arms.
It remains to be seen if Thursday’s announcement will be enough to prevent a future escalation.
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Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu described the Lebanese efforts as an encouraging start but far from sufficient.
“The ceasefire agreement brokered by the United States between Israel and Lebanon states clearly, Hizbullah must be fully disarmed. This is imperative for Israel’s security and Lebanon’s future,” he said.
“Efforts made toward this end by the Lebanese government and the LAF are an encouraging beginning, but they are far from sufficient, as evidenced by Hizbullah’s efforts to rearm and rebuild its terror infrastructure with Iranian support.”
Netanyahu, after his recent talks with US president Donald Trump in Florida, told ministers in his government he received a green light from Trump to launch an attack in Lebanon. Sources added, however, that Israel was asked to delay any decision to allow further dialogue with the Lebanese government.
Israel will be closely monitoring the next steps. Under the ceasefire agreement the Lebanese army is also obliged to disarm militias operating north of the Litani river.
However, although Hizbullah reluctantly agreed to reduce its military presence in the south following a significant military defeat in fighting with Israel, any attempt by the LAF to rein in Hizbullah north of the Litani river will be another story. The Beirut government also fears plunging the divided nation into another civil war.
The Lebanese government is essentially saying to the American mediators they have done the best they can and they blame Israel for having failed to totally disarm Hizbullah, citing the ongoing Israeli military presence in five enclaves inside southern Lebanon.
According to Israeli media reports this week the protests in Iran have put on hold plans to attack Hizbullah as Israel wants to focus on the threats from Iran, which may escalate due to the protests.
