Since the entry of the Israeli ground forces into southern Lebanon to combat Hezbollah, the Israeli military has been engaging in continuous clashes with Hezbollah militants along the border, while the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) have largely remained passive.
This is not the first time that the Lebanese Armed Forces have taken on the role of bystanders in the face of wars within their territory.
The Lebanese Armed Forces, widely supported by the Lebanese people, are one of the few institutions capable of bridging the sectarian and political divides within the country, with several commanders eventually ascending to the presidency of Lebanon.
Current commander General Joseph Aoun is seen as one of the leading presidential candidates once Lebanon’s political deadlock is resolved. The position has been vacant for two years.
However, due to outdated weaponry, lack of air defense systems, and the impact of a five-year economic crisis, the Lebanese Armed Forces are unable to withstand the air raids or ground offensives of well-equipped modern forces like the Israeli military.
Hezbollah’s military strength surpasses that of the Lebanese regular army. The Lebanese Armed Forces consist of around 80,000 personnel, with approximately 5,000 stationed in the south.
Deceased Hezbollah militant leader Hassan Nasrallah claimed that Hezbollah possesses over 100,000 armed fighters, with the Iran-supported group having more advanced weapons stockpiles.
Following terrorist attacks by Hamas against Israel, Hezbollah militants launched rockets at Israel on October 8, 2023, in support of their ally Hamas. Subsequently, Israel and Hezbollah continued to clash along the Israel-Lebanon border.
In recent weeks, Israel has conducted extensive air raids on Lebanon and engaged in combat within Lebanese territory. The Israeli military stated that the operations aimed to repel Hezbollah militants entrenched along the Israel-Lebanon border, allowing displaced residents of northern Israel to return home.
Upon the entry of Israeli ground forces into Lebanon, Hezbollah retaliated with rocket fire, leading the Lebanese Armed Forces to withdraw from border outposts and retreat approximately 5 kilometers.
As of now, Israeli forces have not advanced that far into Lebanese territory. The only direct clashes between Lebanese and Israeli forces occurred on October 3.
During this incident, Israeli tank fire struck Lebanese army positions in the Bint Jbeil area, a stronghold of Hezbollah militants.
This Israeli attack resulted in the death of one Lebanese soldier. The following day, two more Lebanese soldiers perished in Israeli airstrikes on the same area. The Lebanese military claimed to have retaliated on both occasions.
Military analysts with experience believe that if Israeli incursions deepen into current Lebanese army positions, the Lebanese forces will retaliate, but their response will be limited.
Former Lebanese Armed Forces general Hassan Jouni stated that the Lebanese army “will naturally defend Lebanon and resist any possible invasion of Lebanese territory,” noting that if Israel invades, they would act defensively, but not recklessly or towards self-destruction.
On October 1, the Israeli military conducted its fourth operation within Lebanese territory in 50 years, with the Lebanese army playing a marginalized role in most previous invasions.
“The only exception was in 1972, when Israel attempted to establish a 20 km buffer zone to repel armed elements of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO),” said Aram Nerguizian, Senior Associate at the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies.
Nerguizian stated that at the time, the Lebanese army successfully thwarted Israel’s advance, “buying time for Beirut’s political leadership, seeking international intervention, and compelling Israel to ceasefire.”
However, with the outbreak of a 15-year civil war in 1975, Lebanon’s internal situation and military strength deteriorated, with both Israeli and Syrian forces occupying parts of Lebanese territory during the conflict.
Following the end of the Lebanese Civil War, the only faction allowed to retain arms was Hezbollah. The initial goal was for Hezbollah to resist Israel’s occupation of southern Lebanon. However, Hezbollah did not disarm after Israel’s withdrawal in 2000.
By 2006, when Hezbollah engaged in a month-long battle with Israel, the Lebanese army “lacked the capability to make any corresponding modernization investments post-conflict and to prevent Israeli airstrikes,” Nerguizian noted, highlighting that the clashes between the Lebanese and Israeli forces were vastly disproportionate.
In 2011, Lebanon’s neighbor Syria descended into a civil war, with the Islamic State (ISIS) wreaking havoc in the region. In 2017, the Lebanese army successfully countered ISIS incursions at the border, with Hezbollah also engaging the extremist group on the other side of the border.
When Lebanon’s financial and monetary systems collapsed in 2019, its military suffered significant blows. The country lacked the budget to purchase weapons and maintain existing military supplies.
Currently, Lebanese soldiers receive an average monthly salary of around $220, prompting many to seek second jobs to make ends meet. The United States and Qatar had previously subsidized Lebanese soldiers’ salaries monthly.
Prior to the financial crisis, the United States had been a major supporter of the Lebanese army.
The US State Department stated in a release that since 2006, the US had provided around $3 billion in military aid to Lebanon, aiming to make the Lebanese army a stabilizing force against regional threats, bolster Lebanon’s sovereignty, secure border boundaries, counter domestic threats, and assist in dismantling terrorist entities.
President Joe Biden has expressed that strengthening the Lebanese army is crucial in diplomatically resolving the current conflict, intending to increase troops deployed in Lebanon to supplant Hezbollah’s position at the border.
However, this support is limited. Assistance to the Lebanese army sometimes sparks controversy within the US, with some lawmakers concerned that military aid to Lebanon could fall into the hands of Hezbollah.
Some Lebanese also believe that the US refrains from providing more advanced weapons to the Lebanese army due to concerns that such arms might be used against the US’s closest ally in the region – Israel.
(*This article referenced reports from the Associated Press.)