Israel Accuses Islamic Republic of Assisting Hezbollah to Regain Strength

On Monday, January 24, the Israeli ambassador to the United Nations stated in a Security Council meeting that Hezbollah is trying to regain power and arm itself with the help of the Iranian government. He emphasized that this Iran-backed group remains a serious threat to Israel and regional stability. According to updated U.S. intelligence reported by Reuters last month, Hezbollah is likely to attempt to rebuild its forces and arms depots, posing a long-term threat to the United States and its regional allies. After more than a year of conflict, Israel and Hezbollah agreed to a 60-day ceasefire mediated by the U.S., which began on November 27. Under this agreement, the Lebanese army is required to deploy in the south of the country, and both Israeli and Hezbollah forces must withdraw from these areas. However, both sides have accused each other of violating the terms of this agreement. Danny Danon, Israel's ambassador to the UN, wrote in a letter to the 15-member Security Council: 'While Hezbollah's military capability was significantly reduced during the war, the group is now trying to regain power and arm itself with the help of [the Islamic Republic] of Iran.' Prior to the publication of this report, neither Hezbollah nor the Islamic Republic responded to Danon's statements. However, according to Reuters, a Lebanese source close to Hezbollah denied these accusations. The Israeli representative at the UN emphasized in the letter, which Reuters has seen a copy of, that it is 'essential' for the Lebanese government and the international community to focus on preventing the smuggling of weapons, ammunition, and money through the Syrian and Lebanese borders, as well as through air and sea routes. He continued, 'Since the ceasefire agreement was reached, there have been several attempts to transfer weapons and cash to Hezbollah.' Danon also noted that the strengthening of Hezbollah's military presence has sometimes occurred near UN peacekeeping bases and patrols in southern Lebanon. Danon added, 'Despite this, UNIFIL (United Nations peacekeeping forces in Lebanon) has provided a lenient interpretation of its duties and has not taken all necessary actions to ensure that their operational area is not used for hostile activities.' Israel has long criticized UN peacekeeping forces operating under a specific mandate pursuant to Security Council Resolution 1701. This resolution obliges UNIFIL to assist Lebanese forces in ensuring disarmament in southern Lebanon, except for forces affiliated with the Lebanese government. Senior UN officials have repeatedly emphasized that UNIFIL has a supportive role and cannot be held responsible for the parties' failure to implement Resolution 1701. In the conclusion of his letter, the Israeli ambassador noted, 'We are concerned that the necessary lessons have not been learned from this situation.'