JERUSALEM/BEIRUT: Israel said Lebanon’s efforts to disarm Hezbollah are far from sufficient after the Lebanese army declared that it had established operational control in the south, raising pressure on Lebanese leaders who fear Israel could escalate strikes.
In line with US demands, the Lebanese government has been seeking to restrict the possession of arms to state control since the Iran-backed Lebanese Shiite Muslim group Hezbollah emerged badly weakened from a war with Israel in 2024.
The Lebanese army said on Thursday that the goals of the first phase of its plan had been achieved in an “effective and tangible way,” and that it had secured areas under its authority south of the Litani river — excluding positions still occupied by Israeli forces.

ISRAEL SAYS HEZBOLLAH TRYING TO REARM
Following the army’s statement, the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Hezbollah must be fully disarmed, citing a US-brokered ceasefire with Lebanon ⁠in November 2024.
While efforts toward this end by Lebanon’s government and army were “an encouraging beginning ... they are far from sufficient, as evidenced by Hezbollah’s efforts to rearm and rebuild its terror infrastructure with Iranian support.”
Hezbollah’s disarmament was “imperative for Israel’s security and Lebanon’s future,” it said.
Israel has been conducting near daily strikes in the south and sometimes more widely in Lebanon, accusing Hezbollah of trying to reestablish infrastructure and Beirut of failing to uphold the 2024 ceasefire agreement.
There was no immediate comment from Hezbollah, which says it has respected the ceasefire in the south and that the agreement does not apply to the rest of Lebanon.
The Lebanese army ⁠had set a year-end deadline to clear non-state weaponry from the south, before moving on to other areas of the country. In its statement, the army said there was more work to be done to clear unexploded ordnance and tunnels.