Israel says Lebanese Army 'way more effective than expected' in disarming Hezbollah

An Israeli army official has said that the Lebanese Army has been “way more effective than expected” in removing Hezbollah’s arms, adding that the Israeli army is “pleased by this trend.”

Lebanon’s army has dismantled most of Hezbollah’s posts and weapons stockpile in the country’s south, with the help of Israeli intelligence passed along by the U.S., and Israeli and American officials are said to be pleasantly surprised by the progress, the Wall Street Journal has reported.

But the report, which also cited Arab officials, noted that the Lebanese Army still faces the challenge of completing the job in the south and implementing its plan to disarm Hezbollah and assert control over the entire country.

Israeli intelligence, delivered to the Lebanese state via the U.S., helped locate remaining Hezbollah caches and posts in the south, unidentified senior Arab officials told the newspaper.

Some of the weapons were destroyed, others were kept for the army’s own use.

Senior Lebanese officials said Hezbollah has also been forced to give up control of Beirut’s international airport. That has impacted Hezbollah’s ability to bring in funds, according to the report.