Lebanon's Army Chief Declares State of Readiness Against 'Israeli Threat'

On Tuesday, November 21, the Commander of the Lebanese Army announced to the military personnel of the country to be on alert for what he referred to as the 'Israeli threat' at the southern borders of Lebanon. According to Reuters, General Joseph Aoun labeled Israel as the 'enemy' and urged the Lebanese military forces to be prepared for the 'proper implementation' of UN Resolution 1701 aimed at 'maintaining stability' at the Lebanon-Israel border. Reuters reports that attempts to contact Israeli officials for a response to this news have not yet yielded results. The resolution mentioned by the Lebanese Army Chief is the 'ceasefire' resolution that ended the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah. The last military confrontation between Israel and Hezbollah in the summer of 2006 resulted in the deaths of over 1,200 people in Lebanon and widespread destruction in the country, along with the deaths of 120 Israelis, nearly all of whom were military personnel. Since that time, Hezbollah, which is supported by Iran, and Israel have avoided major military confrontations. According to this resolution, the Lebanese Army is responsible for maintaining security along the border with Israel, and the presence of other groups such as Hezbollah in this area is prohibited. A portion of the United Nations peacekeeping forces is also present in this border area. This year, with the increase of Iran's influence in the region, tensions have also risen between Israel and Hezbollah. In this context, the Lebanese Army Chief on Tuesday called on Lebanese soldiers: 'I call you to full readiness at the southern border and to confront the threats and aggressions of our Israeli enemy; an enemy that is currently showing aggressive intentions against Lebanon, our people, and our army.' These remarks reflect concerns about military confrontation between the two countries, which have been less frequently heard from Lebanese military officials in recent years. General Aoun continued his message to the Lebanese military, stating: 'The exceptional political situation that Lebanon is facing requires the highest level of awareness and vigilance from you.' The political situation that Joseph Aoun refers to has worsened since the sudden resignation of Saad Hariri, the Prime Minister of Lebanon. Hariri, who is considered an ally of Saudi Arabia, recently announced his resignation during a trip to Riyadh, the Saudi capital, and his refusal to return to Lebanon has fueled speculation about him being 'under pressure' from Saudi officials; an accusation that both Hariri and Saudi Arabia deny. Saudi Arabia is concerned about the 'expansion of influence' of Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed armed group in Lebanon. Hezbollah is listed as a terrorist organization by the United States, Canada, Australia, and the European Union, and the Gulf Cooperation Council, under Saudi influence, designated this group as a terrorist organization in March 2016. Hezbollah is the only group in Lebanon that was not disarmed after the civil war from 1975 to 1990. According to Reuters, sources close to Saad Hariri say that Saudi officials are dissatisfied with his performance in countering Hezbollah's influence in Lebanon, and Hariri's resignation is related to this issue. These developments led Hassan Nasrallah, the Secretary-General of Hezbollah, to accuse Saudi Arabia on November 10 of declaring war against Lebanon and Hezbollah and 'encouraging' Israel to attack Lebanon. The likelihood of war has intensified, especially after Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates urged their citizens to leave Lebanon following Hariri's resignation. Meanwhile, the Jerusalem Post reported on November 10 that 'with Saad Hariri's departure, Israel has more operational space in the next war with Lebanon.' The Jerusalem Post quoted Yoav Galant, the current Minister of Housing and a former senior military official in Israel, stating that in a new war, 'Lebanon will return to the Stone Age.' Avigdor Lieberman, Israel's Defense Minister, also stated that his country considers all of Lebanon a military target in a new war with Hezbollah, as Hezbollah has taken control of Lebanon and 'must be dealt with decisively.' Lieberman also tweeted: 'Lebanon = Hezbollah; Hezbollah = Iran; Lebanon = Iran; Iran is a danger to the world; Saad Hariri's resignation proved this.' The statements made by the Israeli Minister of Information regarding a planned diplomatic attack by Israel to pressure Iran and Hezbollah, along with remarks from other senior officials about a new war with Hezbollah and Lebanon, coincided with a large-scale air exercise by Israel. A few weeks ago, the Israeli army also conducted a ground exercise near the border with Lebanon to practice the possibility of military operations against Hezbollah.