Lebanon’s prime minister vowed on Tuesday to keep his country out of war after Hezbollah’s leader last week warned that a strike on Iran would be an attack on its Lebanese terror proxy.
“We will never allow anyone to drag the country into another adventure,” AFP quoted Nawaf Salam as saying during the World Governments Summit in Dubai, in response to a question about comments made by Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem.
Hassan Nasrallah’s replacement said on Jan. 26 that his Lebanese Shi’ite terror army and its main backer in Tehran were facing “aggression that does not distinguish between us. ... [W]e are targeted by any potential aggression and determined to defend ourselves. We will choose at that time how to act ... but we are not neutral [and] a war on Iran this time will ignite the region.”
Salam said Hezbollah’s decision to enter the Gaza war on Oct. 8, 2023, in support of its terror ally Hamas had “very big” consequences for Lebanon, and that “no one is willing to expose the country to adventures of this kind.”
Hezbollah began attacking Israel a day after the Hamas-led terrorist assault on southern Israel, opening a second front along the country’s northern border. The attacks continued until a truce took effect on Nov. 27, 2024.
Under the terms of the ceasefire, Hezbollah was required to disarm, beginning in areas adjacent to the Israeli border, with the Lebanese Armed Forces being tasked with establishing a monopoly over weapons in the country.
Lebanon’s government has begun implementing a phased plan to disarm Hezbollah, starting in the country’s south, a key stronghold of the Iran-backed group. In January, the Lebanese army said it had completed the first phase of the initiative, covering the area between the Israeli border and the Litani River, around 20 miles from Israel.
Salam said the state had “worked to regain control over decisions on war and peace.” He added that “the Lebanese army has full operational control over the south.”
Salam appealed for Arab backing to help extend state authority nationwide, saying, “In order for the state to extend its authority over all its territory... we need to support the armed forces.”
“A conference will soon be held in Paris to support the Lebanese Armed Forces, and I hope that all our Arab brothers will participate actively,” he added.
The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office in a Jan. 8 statement said that while Beirut’s efforts were “an encouraging beginning,” they were “far from sufficient” given Hezbollah’s ongoing Iran-aided rearmament efforts.
“The ceasefire agreement brokered by the United States between Israel and Lebanon states clearly that Hezbollah must be fully disarmed. This is imperative for Israel’s security and Lebanon’s future,” said Jerusalem.
Israel has been continuously combating Hezbollah’s attempts to rebuild its terror forces in Lebanon since the ceasefire took effect.
January saw a sharp rise in Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon, with 87 attacks—more than twice December’s total and the highest monthly figure since the ceasefire began, according to analysis of the data published on Monday by the Israel-based Alma Research and Education Center.
Nearly half of the strikes hit targets north of the Litani River, Hezbollah’s main stronghold, focusing on terrorist infrastructure.
In total, 21 terrorists were killed in Lebanon during the month—20 from Hezbollah and one from Hamas. The IDF’s strike policy has remained unchanged despite shifting intensity levels, according to Alma’s assessment.
