The Lebanese army says it has taken over security in the south of the country, which for decades had been dominated by the Iranian-backed movement Hezbollah, amid fears that Israel could escalate its military offensive against the group.Lebanon has been under intense international pressure, particularly from the US, to disarm Hezbollah, a powerful militia and political party, since a ceasefire deal in November 2024 ended a devastating year-long war between Israel and Hezbollah.The army had set a year-end deadline to clear the area south of the Litani river, about 30km (20 miles) from the border with Israel, of non-state weapons in the first phase of a government-backed plan.The army said its objective had been achieved in an “effective and tangible way” but that there was more work to be done to clear unexploded ordnance and tunnels.Responding to the Lebanese army’s statement, the office of the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said efforts toward fully disarming Hezbollah were “an encouraging beginning, but they are far from sufficient, as evidenced by Hezbollah’s efforts to rearm and rebuild its terror infrastructure with Iranian support”.In recent months, Lebanese soldiers have dismantled infrastructure in areas once controlled by Hezbollah in the south without facing resistance from the group, which says it has complied with the ceasefire deal and removed its fighters from those areas, where Palestinian factions including Hamas had also operated.But US and Israeli officials have expressed frustration with the pace of the army’s efforts. Israel has accused Hezbollah – which is considered a terrorist organisation by countries including the US and the UK – of trying to recover its military capabilities, including in the south. In recent days, Israeli media reported that Netanyahu had been given a green light by US President Donal …
