The Lebanese Armed Forces continues to insist it is seeking to disarm Hezbollah, but reports indicate that this is a complex move that will take time and strategy execute.
A report at the AFP, which was also published at Saudi Arabia’s Arab News, maintained that “Lebanon’s government said on Monday that the army would need at least four months to implement the second phase of the military’s plan to disarm militant group Hezbollah in the country’s south.”
Lebanese army chief Rodolphe Haykal arrived in Washington in early February for talks with US officials. He also visited US Central Command (CENTCOM) in Florida.
This follows Lebanon’s Prime Minister Nawaf Salam’s multi-day visit to southern Lebanon in early February. The two-pronged Lebanese initiative, sending the army chief to Washington and the prime minister to areas in the south that Hezbollah previously controlled, shows how Lebanon is thinking about the future.
Lebanon's two-pronged approach
The messaging about disarming Hezbollah is also part of this, as, according to the latest report, Lebanon is indeed committed to the move.
“Lebanon’s government last year committed to disarming Hezbollah, which was badly weakened in a recent war with Israel, and tasked the army with drawing up a plan to do so,” Arab News said. “The military said last month it had completed the first phase of the plan, covering the area between the Litani River and the Israeli border about 30 kilometers farther south.”
The second phase of disarmament is supposed to focus on the area between the Litani and Awali Rivers. There are questions about progress in Lebanon. CENTCOM praised the Lebanese army for uncovering a tunnel on February 9.
According to Lebanese Information Minister Paul Morcos, the army has provided a presentation about the second stage of the plan. “There is a time frame of four months, extendable depending on available capabilities, Israeli attacks, and hindrances on the ground,” he said.
The reports in Lebanon come as the IDF continues strikes against Hezbollah and other terrorists. Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem was cited in the Arab News report as saying that “what the Lebanese government is doing in focusing on disarmament is a grave sin, because this issue serves the goals of the Israeli aggression... Stop all action to restrict weapons.”
The IDF said on Monday that it “struck and eliminated a terrorist who operated to reestablish Hezbollah terrorist infrastructure in the area of Tallouseh in southern Lebanon.”
Additionally, the IDF “struck and eliminated a terrorist who took part in attempts to restore Hezbollah terror infrastructure in the Hanin area in southern Lebanon.”
On Sunday, February 15, the IDF said it targeted weapons storage facilities and rocket launchers belonging to Hezbollah in several areas in southern Lebanon.
In a separate incident on Friday, February 13, the IDF killed a terrorist “who took part in attempts to redevelop Hezbollah networks in the At-Tiri area in southern Lebanon.”
This not only illustrates the high level of activity of the IDF in Lebanon, but also demonstrates that Hezbollah continues to pose a threat as long as it is armed.