Israel Accuses Lebanese Army Chief of Cooperating with Hezbollah

Israel is accusing Lebanese Army Commander General Rudolf Heikal of cooperating with Hezbollah, Kan News reported for the first time Thursday evening.

Against the backdrop of direct negotiations between Israel and Lebanon, a senior Israeli official told Kan News: "General Heikal is cooperating with Hezbollah fully and is preventing the Lebanese Army from implementing government decisions."

The official said the message about Heikal was conveyed in recent days to the United States, which is mediating the talks. According to the source, there is concern that information Israel passes to the Lebanese Army through the Americans will reach Hezbollah directly.

In about three weeks, another meeting is expected to take place in Washington between IDF representatives and Lebanese Army representatives, at which Israel will demand that the Lebanese military act against Hezbollah in villages outside the Israeli security buffer zone, as part of a "seriousness test" before a gradual IDF withdrawal from Lebanon.