By Tal Shalev, Eugenia Yosef, Charbel Mallo, CNN
(CNN) — Lebanon on Thursday announced that it has completed the first phase of its plan to disarm Hezbollah and other militant groups in the country’s south, but Israel said the progress was “far from sufficient” amid renewed concerns that the conflict could ramp back up.
The Lebanese Army said it now has operational control of Lebanese territory south of the Litani river, with the exception of five Israeli military positions inside Lebanon. The army stopped short of declaring it had fully disarmed Hezbollah and other groups south of the Litani, acknowledging that “work in the sector is still ongoing” while signaling readiness to move to the next phases of the government’s plan, “Homeland Shield”.
“The Lebanese army confirms that its plan to confine weapons has reached an advanced stage after achieving the objectives of the first phase in an effective and tangible manner on the ground,” the statement said. The army affirmed its commitment to implementing the government’s initiative to “assume exclusive responsibility, alongside other security agencies, for maintaining security and stability in Lebanon, particularly south of the Litani River.”
The river marks the UN-mandated line in southern Lebanon south of which Hezbollah is barred from operating under a Security Council resolution.
The Israeli government welcomed the announcement as an “encouraging start,” but said that the army’s efforts did not go far enough. “The ceasefire agreement brokered by the United States between Israel and Lebanon states clearly, Hezbollah must be fully disarmed,” read a statement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, citing what it described as evidence of “Hezbollah’s efforts to rearm and rebuild its terror infrastructure with Iranian support.” CNN cannot verify the claims.
The Lebanese army statement, which avoided mentioning Hezbollah explicitly, added that operations to address unexploded ordnance and tunnels will continue, alongside measures “to prevent armed groups from rebuilding their capabilities.” It blamed “ongoing Israeli attacks in Lebanon, occupation of Lebanese sites, and repeated violations of the November 2024 ceasefire agreement as negatively affecting efforts to extend state authority and confine weapons to legitimate forces.”
The ceasefire pact followed more than a year of conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, which began when Hezbollah struck Israeli-controlled territory a day after the Hamas-led attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023.
In December, the US helped facilitate two meetings between civilian officials from Israel and Lebanon as part of an effort to prevent another major escalation. The meetings, which took place in Naqoura in southern Lebanon, focused on what Israel called “economic cooperation” between the two countries, even as it signaled it might carry out a much wider bombardment of the country if Hezbollah did not take significant steps towards disarmament.
‘Undeniable progress’
The November 2024 Israel-Lebanon ceasefire agreement commits Lebanon to ensure that only state security forces are authorized to bear arms, “starting from” south of the Litani River, and to dismantle any other infrastructure, military positions and armed forces in the area.
“Lebanon’s official military and security forces, infrastructure, and weaponry will be the only armed groups, arms, and related materiael deployed in the southern Litani area,” the agreement says.
Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, the United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon, wrote on X that the Lebanese army’s announcement “is undeniable progress. Hard work lies ahead. But today’s milestone shows commitment and reinforces the role of the mechanism established by the Nov 24 arrangement.”
Israel has long doubted Lebanon’s ability to disarm Hezbollah and has conducted hundreds of near daily airstrikes in the country since the ceasefire came into effect, citing Hezbollah violations. The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), a peacekeeping force, has repeatedly warned Israel against the attacks, saying they violate the ceasefire and undermine progress made since the truce.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry said on Thursday that Israel acknowledges Lebanon’s decision to address the disarmament of Hezbollah but added that “these efforts are limited.”
“The facts remain that extensive Hezbollah military infrastructure still exists south of the Litani River. The goal of disarming Hezbollah in southern Lebanon remains far from being achieved,” the foreign ministry wrote on X. “Hezbollah is rearming faster than it is being disarmed,” it added, pointing to continued Iranian support, as well as a visit by the Iranian foreign minister to Beirut on Thursday. The ministry also posted a video it said showed Hezbollah locations in southern Lebanon.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has said the state aims to assert a monopoly on weapons and encourages the full disarmament of Hezbollah through negotiations. Hezbollah has largely allowed the disarmament south of the Litani river, but has so far refused to relinquish its arsenal further north, citing continued Israeli occupation of Lebanese land.
On Thursday, Lebanese Information Minister Paul Morcos said the army will in February present a new plan to the cabinet to disarm the Iran-backed group north of the Litani River, state-run NNA reported.
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