Israel Tells US Pilot Program in South Lebanon Has Failed Amid Hezbollah Concerns

Israel has informed the United States through security channels that the pilot program implemented in southern Lebanon following a memorandum of understanding between Beirut and Jerusalem has failed, according to Israeli security sources. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) expressed significant dissatisfaction with the Lebanese army's actions against Hezbollah's terror infrastructure in the region. Despite receiving coordinates from the IDF to target Hezbollah sites, the Lebanese army has not destroyed these terror infrastructures and continues to request additional coordinates without taking effective action.

Israeli officials criticize the Lebanese military's performance, describing it as ineffective in scanning, locating, and dismantling Hezbollah's weapons and infrastructure in southern Lebanon. The IDF also assesses that Iran, which previously provided substantial support to Hezbollah, is currently preoccupied with its own survival struggles and is not rushing to assist the group.

Senior IDF sources highlight that Lebanese Armed Forces Chief of Staff Rudolf Heikal maintains cooperation with Hezbollah and avoids confrontation with the Shiite organization's commanders in southern Lebanon. According to these sources, the Lebanese army's enforcement is minimal, focusing more on coordination than on active operations. The Lebanese forces reportedly entered underground areas only briefly without conducting thorough operations, leading Israeli officials to doubt their willingness to address Hezbollah's presence effectively.

Due to these developments, Israel is reluctant to agree on expanding the pilot program to additional areas in southern Lebanon. The Israeli military continues to monitor the situation closely, emphasizing the lack of real friction between the Lebanese army and Hezbollah, which resists any attempts to collect weapons or destroy its infrastructure.