Scores of Egyptian military advisers have been sent to Lebanon in the past two months as part of growing military co-operation between the two countries, sources in Cairo and Beirut told The National.
They said weaponry from Egypt – including armoured vehicles and air defence equipment – were also scheduled to be sent to Lebanon. The sources, however, cautioned that the advisers and weapons are intended to support the Lebanese government's efforts to strengthen state institutions through the military.
In addition to the advisers and weapons, Egypt is helping the Lebanese military set up a secure communications network, upgrade its intelligence-gathering and processing capabilities, as well as monitor systems.
The advisers, they said, were training Lebanese troops on counter-terrorism and border security. Members of the Lebanese military have also received training in Egypt, they added.
The sources did not give a precise figure for the size of the Egyptian mission in Lebanon, saying only that the number of advisers is in the low dozens.
“The Egyptians agreed to do this to strengthen the capabilities of the army, not to help it disarm Hezbollah, which Cairo sees can potentially trigger internal strife,” said one of the sources in Cairo.
“Hezbollah is part of Lebanon's social fabric. Its disarmament now is not advisable. Egypt will never be dragged into Lebanon's politics,” added the source in reference to disarmament across all of Lebanon.
In August, the Lebanese government told the military to bring all weapons under state control, effectively ordering the disarmament of Hezbollah. In the months since, Beirut has hailed significant progress in disarmament in the area near the border with Israel.
The army is expected to announce later this week the completion of the first phase of its plan, which involves disarming Hezbollah positions near the border. A second phase, covering weapons outside that area, will require further discussions and careful consideration of internal risks, particularly as Hezbollah has rejected disarmament, the army said.
Arab countries, including Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, played significant roles in supporting the Lebanese Army.
“They are part of a group of friendly countries that are supporting the army,” an official in Beirut told The National regarding Egypt's role.
Two Lebanese Army sources said they had no information at this time.
Egypt's military mission in Lebanon is, in part, a reflection of President Abdel Fattah El Sisi's firm conviction that state institutions are central to national stability and must be strengthened and preserved. That notion has predominantly guided Cairo's regional policies over the past decade.
The mission is also part of Egypt's endeavours to prevent Israel from establishing itself as the Middle East's dominant power, amid strained relations between the neighbours over the war in Gaza.
In the case of Lebanon, Egypt sees as unwarranted Israel's continuing strikes there after it signed a ceasefire agreement with Lebanon in November 2024 to stop the war with Hezbollah.
Similarly, Egypt has been vocally opposed to Israel's repeated incursions into Syria despite being cautious in its dealings with the new order in Damascus following the removal of Bashar Al Assad in December 2024.
More recently, Egypt has angrily reacted to Israel's recognition of the breakaway region of Somaliland, suspecting the move is likely a prelude to securing a foothold on the coast of the Red Sea near Bab Al Mandeb, its southern gateway.
The shape and extent of co-operation between the Lebanese and Egyptian militaries, said the sources, were agreed when the head of Egypt's intelligence service, Gen Hassan Rashad, visited Lebanon in November.
But the entire process began in May, when Lebanese President Joseph Aoun visited Cairo for talks with his Egyptian counterpart. Mr Aoun, according to the sources, formally asked for Cairo's help to support his country's army when he met Mr El Sisi in Cairo.
Lebanese military and security officials later visited Cairo to discuss the details of the co-operation, the sources said.
During his November visit, Gen Rashad met Mr Aoun, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berry.
The official in Beirut, who met with Gen Rashad when he visited, said “the Egyptians always show support during crisis (in Lebanon) that they are there – during the port explosion, for example. Their support is always there.”
Underlining the growing relations between the two countries, Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly visited Beirut in December, but his talks with Lebanese leaders focused on economic co-operation.
However, in comments to the press there, he lavishly praised what he said were the Lebanese army's efforts “to safeguard the security and stability of Lebanon”.
Egypt's support comes as the US links Lebanese army aid to Hezbollah disarmament. A US defence bill includes a provision that aid may become contingent on that progress.
The US has been a staunch backer of the Lebanese military, with President Donald Trump's administration sending about $230 million to Beirut in October. However, Israel and the US have complained that the process of disarming Hezbollah is going too slowly.
