Senior Israeli officials have indicated their intention to remain in southern Lebanon beyond the 60-day ceasefire, due to the slow deployment of the Lebanese army, raising concerns in Washington, The Jerusalem Post learned on Thursday.
Sources close to US President-elect Donald Trump have reportedly conveyed a warning to Israeli officials: “We don’t want the ceasefire agreement in Lebanon to collapse.”
The ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, which began on November 27, is scheduled to last 60 days. In this time, the Lebanese Armed Forces is expected to deploy in southern Lebanon and dismantle Hezbollah’s weapons storage facilities.
However, Israeli officials have accused the Lebanese military of failing to fulfill its mission, with claims emerging that some Lebanese personnel are allegedly tipping off Hezbollah militants ahead of planned searches.
In recent days, Hezbollah has declared that it will act if Israeli forces remain in southern Lebanon past the agreed-upon 60-day period, prompting concerns among Trump’s team that any Israeli extension could reignite hostilities.
Slow deployment
The Post has learned that Israeli officials have attempted to make US counterparts understand that the deployment by the Lebanese Army has been slow and insufficient, leaving Hezbollah’s presence largely intact. This, the officials argue, necessitates Israel’s continued presence in the area.
For Israel, maintaining US involvement in the monitoring mechanism – comprising Israel, Lebanon, France, and Hezbollah – is a priority. Israeli officials have stressed that American leadership is crucial to ensuring the mechanism’s effectiveness, particularly in pressuring the Lebanese Army to act decisively against Hezbollah.
Coordination with the US, Israeli officials emphasized, is essential to prevent the Americans from withdrawing from their oversight role in Lebanon.