A U.S. general monitoring the ceasefire agreement in Lebanon between Israel and Hezbollah said he was impressed with the work done by the Lebanese armed forces to remove unauthorized ammunition, clear roads and provide security for residents in an area that has seen fierce fighting for more than a year.
Army Maj. Gen. Jasper Jeffers, chairman of the Cessation of Hostilities Implementation Mechanism, and French army Brig. Gen. Guillaume Ponchin this week viewed stockpiles of weapons seized from “unauthorized armed groups” in Naqoura, a town in southwest Lebanon under LAF control following the withdrawal of Israeli forces.
“The LAF is the legitimate security provider for Lebanon and continues to demonstrate to me and the rest of the Mechanism it has the capability, intent and leadership to secure and defend Lebanon. They have acted decisively, rapidly and with clear expertise,” Gen. Jeffers said Tuesday in a statement released by the U.S. Embassy in Lebanon.
The conflict between Hezbollah and Israel began when the Iran-backed Lebanese terrorists launched rockets and artillery across the border following the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on Israel. A truce agreement signed on Nov. 27 requires Israel to withdraw from all its positions in southern Lebanon within 60 days. Meanwhile, Hezbollah is supposed to pull its forces north of the Litani River, 18 miles from the border with Israel.
The Israel Defense Forces said they are continuing to neutralize threats and dismantle terrorist infrastructure in southern Lebanon. IDF troops located several fortified weapon storage facilities in a mountainous and heavily wooded area used by Hezbollah. They found a truck carrying midrange rocket launchers and more than 200 mortar shells along with other military ordnance.
“All the weapons were confiscated and destroyed,” IDF officials said Wednesday on their Telegram social media site.
Israel is signaling that IDF forces could remain in southern Lebanon after the initial 60-day ceasefire to pressure the LAF to fulfill its obligation to clear out Hezbollah before the deadline. On Sunday, Defense Minister Israel Katz said his troops would be “forced to act” if Hezbollah doesn’t fully comply with the truce.
“Israel is interested in the implementation of the agreement in Lebanon and will continue to enforce it fully and without compromise to ensure the safe return of the residents of the north to their homes,” Mr. Katz told the Times of Israel. “But, the first condition … is the complete withdrawal of the Hezbollah terror organization beyond the Litani River, the dismantling of all weapons and the [removal] of the terror infrastructure in the area by the Lebanese army — something that hasn’t happened yet.”
• Mike Glenn can be reached at mglenn@washingtontimes.com.