On November 27, 2024, a ceasefire agreement came into force between the Lebanese-based group Hezbollah and Israel to bring the 14-month fighting between both sides to an end.
Under the agreement, both sides have an initial 60-day halt in fighting, during which Hezbollah ends its armed presence in southern Lebanon while Israel gradually withdraws its troops to the other side of the border.
Moreover, the ceasefire agreement involves the deployment of additional Lebanese troops and UN Peacekeepers in the south, with an international panel, led by the US, monitoring compliance.
However, there are questions regarding the ability of the Lebanese army to take control of all the territories of Lebanon, as it lacks weapons and ammunition, and whether the US will provide adequate military support to Lebanon or yield to Israel’s pressure.
In the light of this, the Former Senior Military Advisor to US Department of State, Colonel (Ret.) Abbas Dahouk, said the US can provide more support to the Lebanese army. He also added that Israel intervenes in all security assistances, not only in Lebanon but also in everywhere across the Middle East.
“Lebanon is a small country compared to its neighboring countries. To be able to protect its sovereignty, Lebanon must have peace with its neighbors,” he told Alhurrah TV. Col. Dahouk explained that Lebanon, on its own, even if its military is well-armed, will not be able to militarily defend itself against Israel or Syria.
“There must be a balanced formula. There must be a peace process, normalization or agreement with other countries for Lebanon to be able to defend itself,” Col. Dahouk said.
He added that Lebanon will not be able to defend itself if it solely depends on the Lebanese army. “This is a losing formula. The US will support Lebanon,” he said.
