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Hezbollah Returns: Israeli Assessment Finds Lebanese Army Experiment in South Disappointing
An Israeli assessment reveals that the experiment of handing security responsibility to the Lebanese Army in three southern towns has yielded disappointing results, with Hezbollah gradually returning.
Yedioth Ahronoth reported that the experiment of transferring security responsibility to the Lebanese Army in three southern towns ended, according to an Israeli assessment, with disappointing results.
The Israeli newspaper noted that the failure of the "test areas" project carries serious security consequences for Israel. More than 100 days have passed since the Israeli Army handed control of three villages in southern Lebanon to the Lebanese Army, but "Hezbollah" is gradually returning to the areas it had vacated, reactivating its civilian networks and consolidating its influence among the population, instead of dismantling its infrastructure and expanding the Lebanese Army's control.
It pointed out that against the backdrop of this failure, political ambiguity emerges in Israel and the United States. Talks on a mechanism to monitor the agreement have stalled for months, and there is still no agreement on ensuring that the Lebanese Army dismantles "Hezbollah's" infrastructure. Israeli officials say the Lebanese Army is not conducting sufficient inspections and avoids entering private homes or searching private property.
At the same time, the Israeli Army continues to maintain defensive positions with far fewer forces than during the ground maneuver and the period preceding the destruction of the tunnel network under the Ali al-Taher mountain range in early September, while "Hezbollah" exploits this period to rebuild its capabilities, return elements to the area, and gather intelligence.
The report clarified that from Israel's perspective, the situation is worrying because the program aimed to test the Lebanese Army's ability to fill the vacuum and prevent "Hezbollah's" return; however, the party's networks have become active again in some areas that were supposed to be models for implementing the agreement, without the need for explicit military presence.
Israeli officials estimate that "Hezbollah" is exploiting the current period to rebuild its military capabilities and prepare for another round of fighting, even though it is at its weakest position in years, having suffered significant damage to its military capabilities and diminished status within Lebanon.
