Lebanese Army soldiers walk next to a pickup truck carrying weapons at Beddawi Palestinian refugee camp, northern Lebanon, on September 13. The Army received the fourth batch of weapons surrendered by Palestinian refugee camps as part of a disarmament deal reached in May. Photo by Wael Hamzeh/EPA
The Lebanese Army, one of the most trusted institutions in the country, has faced tremendous challenges carrying out its delicate mission.
It has been tasked with securing post-war national stability by taking control of Hezbollah’s positions and weapons to deter Israel, reinforcing the eastern border with Syria, and combating terrorism and smuggling.
Its role grew significantly after a cease-fire agreement, brokered by the United States and France, was reached on Nov. 27, 2024, ending a 14-month devastating war between Israel and Hezbollah.
The Army was tasked with deploying to the embattled region of southern Lebanon once Israel began to withdraw its forces on Feb. 18 in accordance with an extended cease-fire deadline authorized by Washington at Israel’s request.
It also prepared a phased plan to ensure its monopoly on weapons, meaning disarming Hezbollah and other armed groups —a key U.S. condition for unlocking much-needed international and Gulf Arab funding to support Lebanon’s reconstruction and economic recovery.
However, the war never truly ended, with Israel continuing its airstrikes on suspected Hezbollah positions and weapons warehouses in southern and eastern Lebanon, killing at least 300 people, including civilians and Hezbollah operatives, since the November cease-fire.
Israel also never fully withdrew, retaining five strategic positions in southern Lebanon and obstructing the deployment of the Lebanese Army and the return of displaced residents to their villages, most of which were left in ruins by intensive Israeli airstrikes and bombardment.
Although underfunded and lacking necessary advanced equipment, the Army was praised by both Lebanese and foreign officials for its successful progress in deploying to southern Lebanon, as well as for its discipline and professionalism.
Most importantly, it won the hearts and growing support of the Lebanese people, who had long been yearning for state authority after decades of militia rule, Syria’s control and Hezbollah dominance, convinced that only the Army and a strong state could restore law, order and security.
Banners reading “We are all with you,” featuring a Lebanese soldier and the national flag, have recently been raised along the road to Beirut’s airport — an area long dominated by images of Hezbollah and Iranian leaders.
This new scene, which would have been unlikely just months ago, reflects growing public support for the Lebanese Army as a trusted protector of the country.
“The Lebanese people, in contrast to the war years, are now conscious that there is no solution, and no authority, above the Army and the state,” a Lebanese Army source told UPI. “Even Hezbollah supporters, whether they are unhappy or whether they admit it or not, have seen for themselves that they have no one but the state.”
The once-powerful Hezbollah has been significantly weakened by Israel during the war that began on Oct. 8, 2023, in support of Gaza. The conflict led to the killing of the Iran-backed group’s top leaders and military commanders, as well as the destruction of much of its military capacity. Some 5,000 Hezbollah fighters were killed and another 13,000 wounded out of an estimated 40,000 combatants.
It was difficult for Hezbollah to accept such a defeat, which forced the group to agree to the cease-fire accord, relocate its fighters north of the Litani River approximately 19 miles from the Israeli border and refrain from retaliating against Israel’s continued aggressions.
While the group implicitly agreed to discuss its weapons as part of a national defense strategy, Hezbollah leader Sheikh Naim Qassem recently escalated his rhetoric, saying the group will not surrender its weapons as long as Israel refuses to abide by the ceasefire terms, halt its attacks, complete its withdrawal and release the 16 Lebanese detained during the war.
However, disarming Hezbollah and empowering the Lebanese Army to collect its weapons and assume full control remains the only viable way to prevent another devastating war with Israel, which continues to operate freely and without deterrence in Lebanon.
It is true that the Lebanese Army is not strong enough to confront Israel or deter its aggression, but it is gradually asserting its control in southern Lebanon and throughout the country.
According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Israel’s military expenditure surged by 65% in 2024, reaching $46.5 billion, while Lebanon’s military spending increased by 58%, to $635 million after several years of reduced spending due to economic crisis and political turmoil.
“Israel is superior with all the weapons it possesses and is backed by the U.S. and all of Europe,” the Army source said. “Our Army is not weak. We have the determination and the will- but we lack equipment and face many constraints.”
The source, who explained that the 80,000-strong Army “needs more troops and better weapons,” said the biggest challenge is the continued presence of the Israeli army in parts of southern Lebanon.
He confirmed that the area north of the Litani River has been cleared of weapons and storage facilities, without “any assistance, interference, or prevention” from Hezbollah.” However, village searches for more weapons continue.
The seized Hezbollah weapons and munitions are either confiscated or destroyed if found to be defective or unserviceable, according to the source.
The Lebanese Army relies heavily on foreign assistance and international funding to maintain its operations due to limited domestic resources and ongoing economic challenges. This support includes military training, equipment, logistical aid and financial assistance, primarily from the United States, France, and several European and Gulf countries.
At the height of Lebanon’s 2019 financial collapse, soldiers’ monthly salaries fell to $50, prompting Qatar to provide financial support, Saudi Arabia to offer humanitarian aid, and France to deliver emergency food and fuel assistance.
The United States, which views the Lebanese Army as a stabilizing force and a counterweight to Hezbollah, is its largest single donor, supplying weapons, light attack helicopters, communication systems and training.
Hisham Jaber, a Lebanese military expert and former Army general, said confidence in the Army has increased, noting that it continues to carry out numerous missions despite its “very limited” logistical and military capabilities, such as successfully combating terrorism, preserving internal stability and closing most of the illegal crossing points along the eastern border with Syria.
Jaber said the Army was also handling the “very delicate issue” of Hezbollah, supporting the political leadership in addressing its disarmament without triggering confrontation, civil war or divisions within the Army’s ranks.
He attributed Hezbollah’s refusal to disarm to the absence of guarantees that Israel will not attack Lebanon again.
“Hezbollah’s remaining weapons are a source of strength and a powerful card that we can use and should not give up,” Jaber told UPI, adding that they could bolster Lebanon’s diplomatic efforts to pressure Israel into a full withdrawal, halt its aggressions and potentially agree to restore the 1949 Armistice Agreement between the two countries.
Others disagree, questioning whether that would ever stop Israel, which is acting without restraint and-targeting one Arab country after another, including Qatar, a major U.S. ally, in its attempt to realize the “Greater Israel” vision and seize more Arab territory.
To Mohammed Chamseddine, a researcher and political consultant, Lebanon is in a dilemma.
“Neither the [Hezbollah] resistance nor diplomacy can protect it,” he told UPI.
