The current conflict between Israel and the Shiite armed group Hezbollah is based on two clearly defined positions, which have remained entrenched for more than four decades.
Israel says it is determined to eliminate the threat Hezbollah poses from neighboring Lebanon, while Hezbollah continues to attack Israeli positions in an effort to destroy the State of Israel.
During the last 11 months, Daily cross-border hostilities between both sides have further increased tension.
Now that an Israeli invasion of Lebanon is underway, for the first time since 2006, many are wondering where the Lebanese army is in this whole situation and what it did to prevent this from happening, given the ramifications of such an escalation for the entire region.
Without resources
At first glance, the Lebanese army has been absent from the hostilities, while Israel and Hezbollah (which is banned as a terrorist organization by the United States, the United Kingdom and other countries) have taken center stage.
In theory, it is the army’s job to fight the nation’s enemy, and Israel is officially Lebanon’s enemy.
But the Lebanese army lacks the equipment and arsenal necessary for such a confrontation.
The Israeli army is solidly equipped and arguably has the greatest support from Western powers, both financially and in terms of the most advanced arsenal.
Furthermore, there is a widespread belief, supported by testimonies from several former high-ranking officers, which accuses the United States of actively pressuring successive Lebanese governments to prevent the state from acquiring sophisticated weapons that could pose a threat to Israel.
A deep economic crisis, compounded by the devastating Beirut fertilizer warehouse explosion in 2020, has made things much worse for the Lebanese army.
The lack of funds has affected its staff and its most basic operational needs, such as fuel.
Donations
To further complicate matters, the US, considered by Hezbollah to be its biggest enemy, is the largest donor to the Lebanese army.
For a time, Washington contributed to the meager salaries of this army’s personnel.
But their help is limited to individual vehicles, accessories and weapons. and it does not compare to the aid it provides to Israel.
Meanwhile, some observers point out that the Lebanese army’s ineffectiveness against Israel is similar to that of all other national armies in the region.
“Neither the Lebanese army nor any Arab army has the capacity to confront the Israeli enemy,” says General Mounir Shehade, former Lebanese government coordinator in the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).
“With the Israeli army, no fighting is appropriate except guerrilla warfare, similar to what happened in Gaza.”
Khalil El Helou, retired general of the Lebanese army, states that “the role of the Lebanese army is to maintain internal stability, because today the internal situation is delicate.”
“The movement of half a million Lebanese Hezbollah supporters to anti-Hezbollah areas creates friction that could lead to security unrest and perhaps civil war,” he adds.
Following the death of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah at the hands of Israel, the Lebanese army was heavily deployed in many areas considered “sensitive” where there was a high potential for tension between different groups in the country.
On Sunday, he also issued a statement urging “citizens to preserve national unity,” stressing that he was continuing to take measures to preserve civil peace in the country.
The combat front
So does the army have any role in the current hostilities? Not really.
However, It is present in the south and in significant quantities.
The military recently announced that a Lebanese soldier was killed by an Israeli drone that attacked a motorcycle as it passed through a checkpoint.
Furthermore, any future ceasefire is likely to involve increased deployment of the army to the south, something the Lebanese prime minister has recently hinted at.
All of this, however, will come with its own set of challenges. More personnel are needed, and this requires more money, funds that the military simply does not have.
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