IDF accuses Lebanese army of taking only ‘cosmetic’ action against Hezbollah

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) has accused the Lebanese army of taking only "cosmetic" action against Hezbollah, failing to address the group's roots in southern Lebanon. According to a senior Israeli official, the Lebanese army is "very afraid" to take aggressive measures against Hezbollah, opting instead to deal with superficial issues. The official added that the Lebanese army appears to be relying on the fall of the regime in Tehran to bring about a change in Hezbollah's activities.

The IDF contends that Hezbollah has evolved politically and militarily, no longer being the dominant force it once was in Lebanon. One IDF official argued that the situation must be taken advantage of, as Hezbollah is not the same organization that controlled various facets of Lebanese society in the past.

Reports suggest that some Lebanese army checkpoints are allowing Hezbollah operatives to move between villages. Meanwhile, IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir has designated certain areas as "kill zones," where any Hezbollah operatives spotted will be targeted to prevent terrorist activities. In response to these developments, the IDF has begun scanning southern Lebanon between the Yellow Line and the border with Israel to locate and destroy Hezbollah's terrorist infrastructure.

The IDF's operations have already resulted in the identification of Hezbollah operatives in the Nabatieh area, leading to airstrikes against them. Local Lebanese officials, including mayors and council heads in southern Lebanon, have recently demanded that Hezbollah remove weapons from their areas and have blocked Hezbollah activity due to fears of Israeli airstrikes on civilian buildings.

Despite Israeli criticism, local sources claim that the Lebanese army is actively operating against Hezbollah infrastructure and operatives in accordance with the memorandum of understanding reached between Beirut and Jerusalem.