Lebanon’s army chief slams daily Israeli attacks, occupation in south
Israel's constant attacks on south Lebanon have killed 31 people since the start of this month alone
The chief of the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF), Rudolphe Haikal, slammed Israel’s occupation and constant attacks in south Lebanon in a speech on 21 November.
The speech came one day ahead of Lebanon’s Independence Day.
“Our homeland today is witnessing a fateful stage that is one of the most difficult in its history, amidst the Israeli occupation of Lebanese lands, and the continuation of attacks and violations that lead to martyrs and wounded, prevent the completion of the army's deployment, and cause destruction of property and facilities,” Haikal said while addressing his troops.
He added that the army has made “great sacrifices” and “tremendous efforts” while deploying to the south as part of the ceasefire agreement. “Many of its members have fallen as martyrs and wounded on the altar of the homeland. It has stood firm in its positions despite the dangerous circumstances, to preserve Lebanon’s right to sovereignty over every inch of its land.”
Haikal also said that Lebanon’s political leadership is “fully aware of the exceptional circumstances surrounding the implementation of the army’s plan, which is proceeding according to its established program.”
It is unclear whether Haikal was referring to the overall deployment of troops to the south as part of the ceasefire, or to the army’s plan to implement the government decision on disarming Hezbollah.
Israel has not stopped attacking Lebanon since the November ceasefire last year. Over the past two months, it has significantly escalated its strikes on the country.
Thirty-one people have been killed since the start of this month alone.
Tel Aviv claims Hezbollah is rearming and rebuilding its presence faster than the Lebanese army is dismantling, threatening escalation and vowing not to withdraw its forces occupying south Lebanon until the resistance surrenders all its arms.
Since the start of the year, the Lebanese army has been dismantling Hezbollah infrastructure and confiscating arms south of the Litani River in line with the ceasefire deal reached in November 2024. The resistance movement has rejected a Lebanese cabinet decision – adopted in August under heavy US pressure – which called for the group’s full disarmament by the end of the year.
After the cabinet decision, the army was ordered to draft a disarmament plan, which has remained confidential.
According to recent reports, Haikal had proposed suspending the disarmament plan until Israel abided by the ceasefire, stopped its daily attacks, and withdrew from southern Lebanon. In late August, Lebanese media reports claimed Haikal could potentially resign in the event that he is ordered to place the LAF in confrontation with Hezbollah – risking a civil war.
Washington has publicly confirmed its intention to use the LAF against Hezbollah. It has also publicly backed Israel’s threats to launch a new war against Lebanon if Hezbollah refuses to surrender its weapons.
According to a Reuters report citing Lebanese sources, Israel is pressing for the LAF to launch raids into civilian homes in south Lebanon in search of weapons belonging to Hezbollah.
The demand “has been rejected” by the LAF, the sources added. Army leadership fears such a move could trigger civil strife and derail its overall disarmament plan, which the Lebanese military views as “cautious but effective.”
“They're demanding that we do house-to-house searches, and we won't do that ... we aren't going to do things their way,” one of the officials told Reuters. “Residents of the south will see house raids as subservience to Israel.”
On 18 November, Lebanese media reported that Haikal’s scheduled visit to Washington was suddenly canceled by the US.
According to the reports, the immediate trigger was Washington’s objection to the Lebanese army’s statement on Sunday, which the US condemned for blaming current tensions on Israel while failing to criticize Hezbollah.
US Senator Lindsey Graham berated Lebanon’s army chief on social media after the statement, calling his efforts to disarm Hezbollah “weak” and “almost non-existent.”