The Netherlands is stepping up support for the Lebanese Armed Forces in an effort to strengthen Beirut’s grip on the country’s south and curb the influence of Iranian-backed Hezbollah, Dutch daily De Telegraaf reported on Wednesday.
Gen. Onno Eichelsheim, the chief of defense of the Netherlands Armed Forces, is visiting Beirut this week for talks with his Lebanese counterpart, Gen. Rodolphe Haykal, on expanding cooperation with the LAF.
The Hague’s support will focus on training Lebanese Army units in areas such as border security and demining, supporting Lebanese special forces and sharing expertise regarding AI, communications and military infrastructure. The Netherlands will also construct a new military base for the LAF, according to the report.
“It’s not as simple as saying, ‘Give them a tank and they can start shooting,’” Eichelsheim told De Telegraaf.
The Dutch defense chief said Lebanon’s official military needs additional equipment, training and support if it was to become the country’s sole armed organization. Iranian proxy Hezbollah would need to be brought under control for a peace deal with Israel to materialize, he added.
“Of course, no one is happy that Israel is operating in Southern Lebanon and occasionally even strikes Beirut, but there is an understanding here that Israel has a problem with Hezbollah and that something needs to be done about it,” Eichelsheim explained.
The Lebanese “are pleased that the issue is now being addressed in negotiations,” he said. “They view the ceasefire and the prospect of a long-term solution positively. They want Hezbollah to be kept in check so they can restore stability and move forward with Israel.”
Hezbollah renewed its rocket and drone attacks from Southern Lebanon on Israel on March 2, following the targeted killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on the first day of “Operation Roaring Lion” on Feb. 28.
In response, Jerusalem launched a broad aerial campaign against Hezbollah targets and expanded military operations in Lebanon aimed at preventing cross-border attacks on Israeli communities.
Following the resumption of hostilities, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun vowed to do “the impossible” to stop cross-border hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah and moved to outlaw the Iranian proxy.
Israeli and Lebanese officials subsequently held five rounds of historic direct talks at the U.S. State Department, resulting in a ceasefire agreement that is conditioned on Hezbollah from the south.
