The deployment of the Lebanese army in Southern Lebanon amid conflicting reports regarding the ongoing hesitation of the Lebanese government to enforce the disarmament of Hezbollah goes to the heart of Lebanese politics.
Reports praise the Lebanese army for taking over 196 out of 260 Hezbollah strongholds south of the Litani River, seizing an undisclosed number of weapons depots in Southern Lebanon belonging to the Shi’ite militia, and its ongoing removal of Hezbollah’s fortified positions in the south. However, other reports still point to the fact that the Lebanese Armed Forces has deployed barely 6,000 soldiers in the south; at least another 4,000 are necessary to complete the deployment.
Moreover, reports have shown blatant cooperation between Hezbollah elements and Shi’ite intelligence officers belonging to the LAF’s Southern Command. It is also worth mentioning that at least 50% to 60% of the deployed soldiers belong to the Shi’ite community and maintain family/tribal bonds with Shi’ite residents in the south who identify with Hezbollah.
However, the most critical issue remains that the Lebanese government has not presented to U.S. envoy Morgan Ortagus, as requested, a precise schedule for either the LAF deployment to the south or Hezbollah’s dissolution. Even the issue of the disarmament of the Palestinian factions in Lebanon, including Hamas, which was to have been taken care of before the dismantling of Hezbollah, has not been addressed by the Lebanese government, to the disappointment of the American administration.
As usual, the Lebanese government stressed the intricacies of Lebanese sectarian politics that it said prevent it from adopting a stricter attitude towards Hezbollah, and emphasized the risk of sliding into renewed civil war, a possibility that would be disastrous for all. The Lebanese also stressed to their American visitors that the precarious situation on the northeastern border with Syria has compelled the army to direct to that front troops meant for deployment in the south.
Instead, the Lebanese preferred to show 18 new reforms addressing the financial sector, and to claim that a complete Israeli withdrawal from Southern Lebanon would bolster its position vis-a-vis Hezbollah and make it easier to adopt an aggressive policy against the terrorist group.
In the meantime, Hezbollah has expressed its readiness (according to Reuters, quoting an undisclosed senior Hezbollah official) to discuss disarmament, conditioned on Israel’s prior withdrawal from five strategic positions it maintains along the Israel-Lebanon border. In the meantime, the terrorist organization continues to flex its muscles, reorganize in Southern Lebanon and prepare itself for a resumption of hostilities with Israel.
Originally published by the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs.