Israel
Lebanese Army claims to have disarmed Hezbollah in ‘effective and tangible way’
Israel has said Beirut’s efforts are ‘encouraging’ but ‘far from sufficient’
January 8, 2026 12:06
Israel has said Beirut’s efforts are ‘encouraging’ but ‘far from sufficient’
January 8, 2026 12:06The Lebanese Army has claimed that it has disarmed Hezbollah in the southern regions in an “effective and tangible way,” fulfilling the conditions of a US-backed ceasefire with Israel.
Beirut had set the military a deadline of December 31 to clear the area south of the Litani River – the region that sits on Israel’s northern border – of “non-state weaponry”.
In a statement posted on Thursday, the army said this operation has “entered an advanced stage following the effective and tangible achievement of the objectives of the first phase on the ground”.
"This phase focused on expanding the Army's operational presence, securing vital areas, and establishing operational control over the territories that have come under its authority in the south of the Litani sector, with the exception of the lands and positions that remain under Israeli occupation,” a spokesperson said.
The IDF has maintained a presence in parts of southern Lebanon since the ceasefire. Jerusalem says that Lebanon has failed to deploy its own armed forces to the area to prevent the terror group from recapturing ground, necessitating the continued deployment of Israeli troops.
The Lebanese statement continued: “The Army points out that operations in the sector are still ongoing, pending the completion of addressing unexploded ordnance and tunnels, in addition to Requests for Action (RFAs), to consolidate control, with the aim of preventing armed groups from rebuilding their capabilities, in an irreversible manner.”
For its part, Israel has welcomed the development as “encouraging”, but suggested that the Lebanese efforts are “far from sufficient”.
The Prime Minister’s Office said: “The ceasefire agreement brokered by the United States between Israel and Lebanon states clearly, Hezbollah must be fully disarmed.
“This is imperative for Israel’s security and Lebanon’s future.
"[These developments] are an encouraging beginning, but they are far from sufficient, as evidenced by Hezbollah’s efforts to rearm and rebuild its terror infrastructure with Iranian support.”
It comes after Israel launched a number of strikes on parts of southern Lebanon this week, targeting Hezbollah and Hamas infrastructure and operatives.
On Tuesday, an IDF spokesman said: “Yesterday, the IDF conducted precise strikes against terror infrastructure sites belonging to the Hezbollah and Hamas terrorist organisations in several areas in Lebanon.
“The strikes targeted several weapon storage facilities and military structures, both above and below ground, that were used by Hezbollah to advance attacks against IDF soldiers and against the State of Israel, as well as to rebuild its military capabilities.
"Additionally, the IDF struck Hamas weapons production sites in southern Lebanon, which were used for the organisation’s military build-up and for carrying out terror attacks against IDF soldiers and the State of Israel.”
While it acknowledged that the targets were located in civilian areas, it said this was “yet another example of the terrorist organisations’ cynical use of Lebanese civilians as human shields for terrorist activity”.
"Prior to the strike, steps were taken to mitigate harm to civilians, including advance warnings to the population in the area,” the spokesman added.
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