Lebanon army chief accuses Israel of spreading misinformation to undermine his troops

Gen Haykal confirmed that the first phase of Hezbollah’s disarmament is close to being completed

Army Commander General Rodolphe Haykal. photo: @LebarmyOfficial / X

Lebanon’s Army Commander Gen Rodolphe Haykal accused Israel on Tuesday of deliberately spreading misinformation to undermine confidence in the Lebanese Armed Forces.

He confirmed that the army is close to completing the first phase of its plan to confine weapons to the hands of the state – a reference to Hezbollah’s disarmament near the border – adding that subsequent phases would take all relevant considerations into account.

Speaking during an extraordinary meeting at army headquarters, attended by senior commanders and operational unit leaders, Gen Haykal said Israel was seeking to cast doubt on the army’s performance and doctrine through what he described as repeated “attempts at deception and misinformation”.

His remarks came as the army presses ahead with measures linked to the gradual disarmament of Hezbollah and the implementation of security commitments, particularly in southern Lebanon, amid continued Israeli breaches and attacks.

The meeting opened with a minute’s silence in honour of fallen soldiers, including a serviceman killed in an Israeli air strike on Monday. Israel said the soldier was linked to Hezbollah, an accusation that the army swiftly denied.

Referring to his recent visit to France, Gen Haykal said international partners had expressed strong confidence in the army’s professional performance, despite what he described as periodic accusations and Israeli efforts to discredit the institution.

“One of the main reasons for the trust and support the army enjoys is its commitment to its duties across all Lebanese regions, especially in the south, despite limited capabilities,” he said, adding that this had been proven repeatedly on the ground.

Lebanon’s Army Commander Gen Rodolphe Hayka addresses officers. photo: @LebarmyOfficial / X

Gen Haykal said the army is in the final stages of completing the first phase of its disarmament plan, and is now “carefully evaluating, studying and planning” the next stages, taking into account all political, security and operational conditions.

On Saturday, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said Lebanon is close to completing the disarmament of Hezbollah near the border.

“Our ambition is to strengthen the army so it can be the sole guarantor of Lebanon’s security and capable of defending our people across the entire territory,” said the army commander.

The US-backed truce, which came into effect in November last year, requires the Iran-aligned group to pull its troops about 30km from the border with Israel, and have its military infrastructure in the vacated area dismantled. The latter phases consist of disarming Hezbollah and other armed groups across the country.

Lebanon has been under intense pressure from Washington to speed up the disarmament of Hezbollah, which was the strongest military force in the country and the most powerful component of Iran's regional “axis of resistance” before being weakened in a war with Israel last year.

The army has gradually increased its presence in southern Lebanon, as required under the ceasefire agreement in November last year that ended more than a year of fighting between Hezbollah and Israel. However, Israel has not withdrawn as stipulated in the truce deal and has reinforced its positions in southern Lebanon.

Beirut has blamed the Israeli army's daily attacks and continued occupation of five points of Lebanese territory for the delays in disarming Hezbollah.