In a bold and uncommon move, Lebanese President General Joseph Aoun has instructed the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) to confront any Israeli incursion into the liberated southern territories — a directive given during his meeting with Army Commander General Rudolph Heikal.
The president’s order calls on the military to defend Lebanon and its citizens, marking one of the few times in Lebanon’s modern history that such a request has been made at the highest level of state authority.
Why Is This Significant?
The directive stands out as a rare and courageous stance, given that the Lebanese army has not engaged directly in wars with Israel for decades.
Traditionally, Hezbollah and Amal Movement fighters have borne the brunt of resistance efforts against Israeli aggression, while the Lebanese army has played a limited defensive role under complex political and international constraints.
Currently, Lebanon lacks the military capacity to enter a full-scale war with the Israeli occupation. Yet the president’s order signals a shift in tone, emphasising national sovereignty and unity in defending Lebanese soil.
A Violation Sparks Outrage
In the early hours of Thursday morning, an Israeli occupation force infiltrated southern Lebanon, committing what Lebanese media described as an unprecedented attack.
According to the Lebanese National News Agency (NNA),
“In a serious and unprecedented assault, an Israeli enemy force crossed into the town of Blida around 1:30 a.m., advancing more than one kilometre past the border, supported by military vehicles and ATVs, before storming a municipal building and killing municipal employee Ibrahim Salameh.”
Hours later, Israeli warplanes launched air raids on multiple areas across southern Lebanon, coinciding with Tel Aviv’s announcement that it had targeted what it called ‘Hezbollah infrastructure’ — a familiar pretext for indiscriminate aggression against civilian-populated regions.
Hezbollah’s Response
Hezbollah welcomed President Aoun’s directive, praising his call for the army to resist any Israeli incursion into Lebanese territory.
In an official statement, the group urged that the Lebanese Armed Forces be provided with all necessary support — financial, logistical, and political — to strengthen its defensive capabilities and to grant it full political cover in confronting what it described as “a savage and criminal enemy.”
The Army’s Official Statement
The Lebanese Army Command issued a statement condemning the Israeli attack, describing it as
“a criminal act, a blatant violation of Lebanese sovereignty, and a breach of the ceasefire and UN Security Council Resolution 1701.”
The army also called upon the UN mechanism supervising the cessation of hostilities to intervene and halt Israel’s continuous violations of Lebanese territory and airspace.
Can the Lebanese Army Fight Israel?
While Lebanon’s constitution and government policy affirm that only the army may possess weapons, the reality on the ground paints a more fragile picture.
The Lebanese Armed Forces, though respected nationally, suffer from severe shortages in funding, advanced weaponry, and training.
Ironically, the United States — Israel’s closest military ally — is also the largest donor to the Lebanese army, providing light weapons, ammunition, and even paying a portion of soldiers’ salaries, according to the U.S. Embassy in Beirut.
This dependency raises a troubling question: can an army partially funded by a backer of Israel truly confront Israeli aggression?
The Army’s Capabilities
Lebanon’s army consists of around 50,000 personnel, including ground, naval, and air forces.
However, the country does not possess any fighter jets, operating instead fewer than 70 helicopters used for combat support, rescue operations, and training.
On the ground, the army has roughly 200 tanks and several thousand armoured vehicles, many of which date back to Soviet-era production, according to Global Firepower.
Despite its limited arsenal, the army remains a symbol of national unity and resilience in a fractured political landscape.
Israeli Reactions: Dismissal and Mockery
Israeli analysts have reacted with condescension to Lebanon’s newfound military assertiveness:
- Reserve Brigadier General Assaf Orion, of the Israeli occupation army, mockingly referred to the Lebanese military as a “tame army”, claiming that “many Western governments donate to it, and the UN provides it with fuel and food.”
- Tal Be’eri, head of research at Israel’s Alma Center, added that Lebanon’s weapons are outdated and pose no real threat to the Israeli army.
Such remarks, however, reveal Tel Aviv’s deep discomfort with any form of Lebanese resistance — whether political, popular, or military — that dares to challenge its unchecked aggression.
Between Weakness and Willpower
While the Lebanese army may lack military parity, the spirit of resistance — embodied by both the army’s recent defiance and the steadfastness of groups like Hezbollah — continues to deter the Israeli occupation from advancing further.
President Aoun’s directive thus marks a symbolic yet powerful stance:
Lebanon may be small and strained, but its will to defend its dignity and sovereignty remains unbroken.
And as history has shown from southern Lebanon to Gaza, when unity and faith converge, even the most powerful armies can be humbled.
