Israeli politicians on Sunday has branded the Lebanese government's plan allowing the army to begin centralizing weapons under its control as “vague, confidential and missing a timetable,” claiming that Hezbollah was pleased with such “compromising solution.”
The politicians also said that in its decision, the Lebanese government wanted to avoid a “confrontation” with Hezbollah, and practically circumvented a radical solution that meets the necessary requirements to achieve stability in the region.
The Israeli reaction was not official. It came through leaks to Hebrew media outlets from several politicians and security officials in Tel Aviv.
Meanwhile, the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper said the Israeli army believes Hezbollah continues to possess a substantial arsenal, including precision missiles, thousands of rockets and drones, some of which are domestically produced after the fall of Syria’s Assad regime cut off land-based smuggling routes.
The newspaper quoted a high-ranking military official as saying that Hezbollah is actively working to rebuild and upgrade its power, especially in the south and the Bekaa, while the Israeli army is trying to prevent the group’s activities through precision bombing and assassinations.
The official added, “the Lebanese Army is trying but its efforts are limited. First because Hezbollah is determined to regain power, second, because the Lebanese authorities are cautious and fearful and third because the army has not yet eliminated Hezbollah’ influence within its ranks.”
Washington’s Pressures
Another source told Yedioth Ahronoth that Israel is demanding that the US administration supports its plans to defeat Hezbollah militarily.
The source revealed that in return, Washington is demanding that Israel eases its military operations, which are weakening the Lebanese government and its reconstruction efforts.
But Israel insists the Lebanese authority and its army cannot be strengthened without weakening Hezbollah, the source noted.
“There is a proposal on the table presented by the US envoy, Thomas Barrack, to the Lebanese leadership, which includes demands that the Lebanese government has already officially adopted, in its meetings on August 5 and 7,” the source said.
However, he added, “the Lebanese leadership and the army, in its current form, are unable to implement a full disarmament of Hezbollah before the end of 2025. They propose a gradual plan that takes into account Lebanese constraints, within a realistic timetable to dismantle and disarm the party.”
Meanwhile, Israel believes that the long war that started on 7 October 2023 has caused major changes in regional balance, especially in the ranks of the Iranian axis and in Lebanon. Tel Aviv says the West must benefit from this change.
Orna Mizrahi, a senior researcher at the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS), said Israel should now benefit from Hezbollah's weakness.
However, she added, the Israeli military achievements have not, so far, led to a stable security reality and there is no guarantee that they will be maintained in the long term.”
Mizrahi said Hezbollah has not yet been defeated and still poses a threat to Israel while, in parallel, the Lebanese state is still weak.
Earlier, INSS recommended that the Israeli government develop a strategic plan, insisting on the elimination of Hezbollah's military presence in Lebanon.
