Lebanese army boosts its presence along border with Israel, dismantling Hezbollah posts
ZIBQIN VALLEY, Lebanon (AP) — The Lebanese army has intensified its efforts in areas bordering Israel in the unstable region that has seen 14 months of war between Israel and Israel. Hezbollah militant group.
Parts of the area, south of the Litani River and north of the Israeli border, were formerly a Hezbollah stronghold and were off limits to the Lebanese national army and UN peacekeepers operating in the area.
But since the ceasefire ended Israel-Hezbollah Following the war a year ago, the Lebanese army increased its presence on the border to about 10,000 soldiers, closed 11 crossing points used for smuggling along the Litani River and is dealing with large quantities of unexploded ordnance, according to several senior army officers.
The military led dozens of journalists from local and international media organizations on a tour of the rugged region along the border on Friday. It was once possible to see Hezbollah’s troops in places where there was a heavy military presence.
Israel has been carrying out airstrikes almost every day since the ceasefire in November 2024, mostly targeting them. Hezbollah members but 127 civilians were also killed, according to the office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.
Since last November, Hezbollah has claimed responsibility only for the attack on an Israeli military outpost. The group maintains that it no longer has an armed presence south of the Litani River, near the border.
Hezbollah rejects disarmament plan
Hezbollah refuses to discuss disarmament across Lebanon until Israel ceases its offensive and withdraws from the five peaks it captured during the war and still holds.
The last Israel-Hezbollah war began on October 8, 2023, after Hezbollah fired rockets at Israel in solidarity with Hamas, one day after Hamas attacked southern Israel. Israel launched a large-scale bombardment of Lebanon for two months last year that severely weakened Hezbollah, followed by a ground offensive.
Lebanese government in August voted in favor A US-backed plan to disarm Hezbollah. Hezbollah rejected the plan.
In recent weeks, Israel has said Hezbollah is trying to rebuild its capabilities in southern Lebanon.
“The Lebanese army is making tremendous efforts at this critical period in the history of the region,” said Brig. General Nicolas Thabet is the commander of the Lebanese army in the region south of the Litani River.
Journalists were taken on Friday to the Zibqin Valley, where Hezbollah once had rocket launchers, tunnels and posts hidden in the bush. The militant group had no presence and its former positions were either hit or are now controlled by Lebanese troops.
The approximately 100-meter (328-foot) tunnel inside a mountain, used by Hezbollah in the past, contained a small medical clinic, a ventilation system, electrical cables, water tankers and what appeared to be large quantities of canned food.
Zibqin Valley is where the ammunition is located. weapons depot exploded Six army specialists who tried to dismantle them were killed in August.
“No matter what the difficulties, we will not give up on our goals,” Thabet said, adding that “the army made great sacrifices in one of the most dangerous regions of the Middle East.”
Weapons and tunnels discovered
Army officials told reporters that there have been 5,198 violations by Israel since the ceasefire, including 657 airstrikes. They added that in addition to the damage to infrastructure in border villages, 13,981 houses were also destroyed in the war.
They said that some of the weapons and ammunition they found were dismantled or exploded, while some were put into storage. They said that the weapons that could be used were taken by the army.
The army currently has 200 outposts in addition to 29 fixed checkpoints south of the Litani River and patrols around the clock, the officers added.
Following the government’s decision to disarm Hezbollah on September 5, the army strengthened its efforts in the region. Since then, soldiers have discovered 74 tunnels, 175 rocket launchers and 58 missiles.
Thabet said the military does not enter and search homes without a judicial order and only does so if they witness illegal activity.
