Lebanon using Israeli intel to dismantle Hezbollah infrastructure: Report
The intelligence is being passed along to the Lebanese army by the US, which has been heavily pressuring Beirut to fully disarm Hezbollah
The Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) has been using Israeli intelligence to dismantle Hezbollah infrastructure south of the Litani River in southern Lebanon, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on 28 May.
The Lebanese army’s efforts to implement UN Resolution 1701 and enforce the ceasefire agreement are being carried out “in part with the help of Israeli intelligence,” according to several sources cited by the WSJ.
Arab officials told the outlet that the intelligence is being “passed along by the US” and has “helped the Lebanese army find and destroy Hezbollah’s remaining weapons stockpiles and military posts in the south.”
The army reportedly destroys some of the weapons while keeping others and adding them to its limited stockpiles.
“We do see a lot of areas where the Lebanese army is way more effective than expected. The IDF is generally pleased by this trend and we are expecting it to continue,” an Israeli army official told the WSJ.
In an interview with the WSJ, Lebanon’s Prime Minister Nawaf Salam claimed that the Lebanese army has achieved 80 percent of its disarmament goals in southern Lebanon – referring to the area south of the Litani River, where Hezbollah has cooperated with the state in handing over military positions.
“All over the Lebanese territory, the state should have a monopoly on arms,” Salam said.
The ceasefire agreement based on UN Resolution 1701 calls for the dismantlement of Hezbollah’s military infrastructure south of the Litani River and the full deployment of Lebanese troops in the area.
While Hezbollah lost much of its arsenal to Israeli strikes during the war, the resistance group retains a significant number of rockets, missiles, and drones that still pose a threat to Tel Aviv.
Under heavy pressure from Washington, the Lebanese government has been escalating calls for a full “monopoly” on arms. This includes a plan to disarm Lebanon-based Palestinian resistance groups, which is reportedly set to begin in June.
Hezbollah has firmly rejected disarmament, and instead calls for the formation of a national defensive strategy that incorporates its weaponsinto the state for use in defending Lebanon against Israel.
It says it is willing to hold dialogue with the state on this issue once Israeli forces withdraw from south Lebanon and stop their violations of the ceasefire. In a speech on Sunday, Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem said that the resistance is giving the state a chance to diplomatically secure an Israeli troop withdrawal and a complete halt to airstrikes, but stressed that “if it fails to perform its duties, other options exist.”
“The resistance does not remain silent in the face of injustice, nor does it surrender. It is patient and gives time, but action must be taken,” he added.
Israel was meant to withdraw its troops as part of the ceasefire, but has maintained an occupation of five locations along the border in violation of the deal.
It claims Hezbollah is attempting to restore its capabilities in the border area, and has launched hundreds of airstrikes on the south since the ceasefire was reached.
Over 200 people have been killed in the more than 3,000 Israeli violations of the US-sponsored deal since the end of 2024.
The Israeli army unleashed a violent wave of airstrikes across southern and eastern Lebanon on the evening of 22 May, striking what it claimed were Hezbollah weapons sites.
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