The latest:
Israel has asked the Lebanese government to redeploy the army and erect checkpoints in areas where Hezbollah operatives are present, to keep the group out of any renewed war with Iran, Israeli public broadcaster Kan reported Monday evening, citing a security source. The message was passed through American mediators, with a warning that fighting in Lebanon would resume if Hezbollah strikes Israel.
Details:
- The request: According to Kan, Israel approached Beirut in recent days demanding the Lebanese army redeploy and establish roadblocks in zones where Hezbollah members are based. The stated fear is that the group opens a front against Israel if the campaign against Iran restarts.
- The warning: The Hebrew site Walla reported overnight that Israel again sent messages to the Lebanese government: if Hezbollah tries to challenge Israeli forces along the so-called Yellow Line or strike deep inside Israel, the military response will be harsh. Israel has threatened to resume operations in Lebanon outright.
- The Lebanese position: President Joseph Aoun said last week that several core issues remain unresolved, adding that the Lebanese state and army are prepared to address security concerns through “existing official mechanisms and coordination channels” rather than military action. Lebanese officials said continued Israeli strikes are obstructing Beirut’s own effort to disarm Hezbollah.
- The Israeli counter-claim: Israel claims the Lebanese army has not demonstrated it can assume the security role set out in the US-backed ceasefire, attributing the failure to deploy to shortages in manpower, motivation and possibly capability. Israel says its strikes target Hezbollah and other armed operatives, or respond to fire on Israeli troops.
- The stalled framework: Talks have stalled over Hezbollah’s refusal to accept the framework agreement, which pairs an Israeli withdrawal from areas it holds in south Lebanon with a Lebanese army deployment, starting in pilot zones, conditioned on the group surrendering its weapons. The Iran-backed group has rejected that condition.
- Rearmament claims: Walla reported that since the ceasefire took effect Hezbollah has restarted missile and rocket production lines with Iranian support, moved combat materiel from the south to areas north of the Litani, recruited new fighters and replaced field commanders killed in strikes, alongside imports of weapons, munitions, drones and components.
- The air campaign: Israeli aircraft have intensified attacks over the past three weeks on infrastructure the Israeli military alleges belongs to Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, particularly in open areas where the Lebanese army has not deployed. Israel presents the destruction as preparation for a possible renewed confrontation with Iran.
- The naval drill: The Israeli navy completed a large exercise dubbed War Week, involving all units of the Haifa base including the missile boat flotilla, the submarine fleet and the underwater missions unit. Scenarios included a large-scale missile attack combined with at-sea rescue and casualty evacuation, framed by Walla as a message to Hezbollah and Iran.
- The Iran timeline: Israeli assessments suggest US President Donald Trump could order a resumption of the war on Iran within days. Senior Israeli military officials held consultations with US Central Command in recent days, and Kan reported that a new round would likely involve a joint operation against nuclear targets and energy facilities.
- The diplomatic track: Kan conveyed pessimism among Israeli officials about any breakthrough in the talks held in recent days between Iran and Qatar aimed at a diplomatic solution. No timetable was given for when those discussions would conclude.
Background:
Hezbollah entered the Israeli-American war with Iran on 2 March in support of its Iranian allies, triggering wide Israeli air strikes and a ground incursion into south Lebanon before a deal ended the conflict in June. Intermittent fighting has continued since, and Israeli forces hold a buffer zone in the south.
Between the lines:
The request routed through Washington rather than the direct channel is striking given that US-backed talks between the two sides are already running. It suggests Israel is treating the Lebanese army less as a negotiating partner on disarmament than as an instrument it expects Washington to activate. The parallel demand and bombardment of the same areas illustrate the contradiction Lebanese officials describe: the strikes cited as pressure are the ones Beirut says block its own effort.
What’s next
Watch for a US decision on resuming strikes on Iran, the outcome of the Iran-Qatar talks, whether the Lebanese army deploys to the pilot zones, and any Hezbollah fire across the Yellow Line.
