As it pushes for new war, Israel claims Hezbollah disarmament in south Lebanon 'insufficient'

Israel has pushed back against the Lebanese army's announcement that it has completed the first phase of its disarmament of Hezbollah in the country's south, claiming that the group still had an armed presence near its border, amid rising tensions.

After a cabinet session where ministers were briefed by army chief Rodolphe Haykal, the army said in a statement that, alongside completing the first phase, the army was now expanding its operational control south of the Litani River as well as across the country, according to an army statement.

The five-phase army plan approved by the government in September stipulates the deployment of thousands of Lebanese troops in the south, which was long a Hezbollah stronghold, and dismantling the group's military infrastructure in stages, starting south of the Litani River and gradually moving north.

The army noted, however, that it was unable to expand its control into positions still occupied by Israel, which continues to violate a 27 November 2024 ceasefire that ended its war with Hezbollah.

Lebanon has repeatedly called on mediators to pressure Israel to quit five hilltops along the border deemed strategic, saying its armed forces cannot fully deploy in the south amid Israel's occupation and strikes.

President Joseph Aoun expressed "full support" for the army's statement, with other government leaders also expressing their backing

He added that the army's deployment in the south of Lebanon was part of ensuring that the state would have a monopoly over arms in the country.

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said following a cabinet session that he values the "tremendous efforts exerted by the Lebanese army, its leadership, officers, and personnel, in completing the first phase of its plan."

Both leaders, as well as Speaker Nabih Berri, reiterated calls that Israel must withdraw from Lebanese territory.

Not good enough for Israel

Israel has long said that the Lebanese army's disarmament of Hezbollah has been inadequate while claiming that Hezbollah has been rearming following the end of the war in late 2024.

Israel continued these accusations following the army's announcement, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying the efforts of the Lebanese army "are an encouraging beginning, but they are far from sufficient, as evidenced by Hezbollah's efforts to rearm and rebuild terror infrastructure with Iranian support."

The Israeli Foreign Ministry also published a video on X that it claimed were Hezbollah military structures south of the Litani, adding "Hezbollah is rearming faster than it is being disarmed," and that disarmament "remains far from being achieved."

"Israel acknowledges the decision of the Lebanese government to address the disarmament of Hezbollah and some of the efforts the Lebanese Armed Forces have made in this context. Nevertheless, these efforts are limited. Hezbollah continues to rearm with the support of Iran," the ministry said in a statement.

Israel has repeatedly threatened that it is prepared to go to war again to disarm Hezbollah by force. Lebanon - already battered by years of a crushing financial crisis - continues to reel from the aftermath of the 2024 offensive, as swathes of the south, Beirut's southern suburbs, and areas in the east remain in ruins. Thousands of people are still homeless and are unable to return to their southern border villages.

The Lebanese army had said in its statement before that its work on clearing unexploded ordnance and tunnels was still ongoing.

During a live television interview on Thursday night, Salam said that the army will continue searching for tunnels and weapons caches and other installations south of the Litani, but reiterated that the state was now in control of the region, and would prevent any armed group from re-establishing itself there.

According to Israel's public broadcaster Kan on Wednesday, Netanyahu told his ministers that Israel had received a green light from US President Donald Trump to attack Lebanon.

Likewise, in a report on an Israeli cabinet session held on Tuesday, the Israeli Ynet website said that the Israeli military was operationally prepared to strike Hezbollah, but that it has held off doing so because of ongoing protests in Iran.

Risks ahead

David Wood, International Crisis Group's Senior Analyst for Lebanon, told The New Arab that Israel's threats and increased strikes north of the Litani could be both a way of pressuring Lebanese authorities to push ahead with disarmament, as well as a way to push Hezbollah to make bigger concessions.

He cautioned, however, that "if Israel continues to attack Lebanon, then, understandably, there'll be plenty of Lebanese, especially in the areas that are being attacked, who increasingly believe that the logic of diplomacy is not enough to protect them from security threats from Israel."

Likewise, with Hezbollah's insistence on retaining its arms elsewhere in the country alongside US and Israeli pressure, any attempt to move into the next phase will be "an incredibly risky bridge that Lebanon will need to cross."

Amid the tension, Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived in Beirut on Wednesday, telling the press he was in the country to discuss bilateral ties with Lebanon, as well as Israel's "challenges and threats."

Iran's Defence Council warned against any Israeli attack amid the protests, saying that it would not restrict itself to responding to attacks on it.

Wood said that despite the tension between Israel and Iran, it was uncertain whether Lebanon would be caught up in it with Hezbollah involvement, noting the group's degraded capabilities and lack of involvement in the 12-day war in June: "It's not just a question of, does Hezbollah want to get involved, but also, can Hezbollah get involved in any meaningful way?"

The Lebanese government had warned Hezbollah against interfering during the 2025 war between Israel and Iran, the first direct conflict between the regional foes.