As the government works to maintain a tenuous cease-fire and enforce its authority, Lebanese police now reportedly say they apprehended a number of individuals who fired rockets toward Israel last month.
For many years, terrorists under the leadership of Hezbollah dominated Lebanon.
However, following a series of intense Israeli intelligence operations, airstrikes, and ground maneuvers last fall that destroyed Hezbollah’s top leadership and decimated its ranks and weaponry, the state’s institutional power has been increasing.
Although the balance of power is still uncertain, the arrests this week demonstrate that the government is growing more confident in its ability to combat militant organizations that have caused instability in the nation.
The violence escalated to levels not seen in months after Israeli strikes in Beirut and southern Lebanon followed the rocket launches, which were the first from Lebanon in months and occurred on March 22 and 28.
According to a senior Lebanese security official, the Lebanese military claimed Wednesday that it had apprehended two individuals—a Palestinian with Hamas connections and a Lebanese national—and identified the individuals who carried out the launches.
According to the official, the cell under investigation contained four additional individuals who are still at large and are probably hiding in the nation’s Palestinian refugee camps.
The missile launches originated in southern Lebanon, which Hezbollah has traditionally dominated, and Hezbollah has denied any role in them.
Following the fatal Hamas-led attacks on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, the group had been firing rockets across the border for a year. However, after being battered last fall, it was compelled to accept a cease-fire.
The November agreement calls for the Lebanese army to advance into the region between the Litani River and the Israeli border in order to destroy Hezbollah’s local bases.
Israel has justified the retention of certain of its military installations in Lebanese territory by pointing out that although the Lebanese government has made some progress in reducing Hezbollah’s influence in southern Lebanon, the militia has not entirely left the region.
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