Israel accuses Lebanese army of insufficient action against Hezbollah — Jerusalem Post
The Israel Defense Forces said that Lebanese military personnel in southern Lebanon are not doing enough to counter the military infrastructure of Hezbollah. As The Jerusalem Post reports, the Israeli side considers the Lebanese army’s actions largely formal.
Israel’s position
A senior Israeli official familiar with the arrangements between Beirut and Jerusalem said that the Lebanese army, according to him, is afraid to seize Hezbollah’s weapons and destroy its infrastructure. He also claims that the Lebanese military is not eliminating the basis for the group’s activities in the country’s south and is relying on actions by the Israeli army or changes in Iran.
Israeli defense officials link the caution of the Lebanese authorities and army to fears of a possible return to the conditions of civil war. In their view, this restrains Beirut from taking more extensive steps against Hezbollah, particularly amid threats from the group.
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Operations in southern Lebanon
According to the Israel Defense Forces, at some Lebanese army checkpoints, Hezbollah members are allowed to travel by car between villages. Israeli army Chief of the General Staff Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir designated certain areas as zones where, if group members are identified, they will be struck in order to prevent attempts to establish terrorist activity there.
The Israeli army continues to survey areas between the Yellow Line and the border with Israel to identify, map and destroy Hezbollah infrastructure. In the Ali al-Taher ridge area, Israeli forces are planning a tactical withdrawal to positions that, according to the defense establishment’s assessment, will make it possible to better protect troops and preserve the operational results achieved.
Reports from Lebanon
At the same time, Lebanese sources told Walla that the Lebanese army is acting against Hezbollah infrastructure and members in accordance with the arrangements between the sides, although its work, they said, needs to be accelerated. According to Walla, mayors and heads of local councils in southern Lebanon appealed to the group to remove weapons from their communities’ territories because of the risk of Israeli strikes on buildings and the threat to civilians.
