Lebanese soldiers block a road in the Marjayoun region of southern Lebanon on Nov. 28, 2024, the day after a cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah went into effect. (Credit: AFP)
The Lebanese Army has appointed Brigadier General Edgard Lawandos, commander of the southern Litani sector, to represent Lebanon on the monitoring committee for the cease-fire with Israel, a Lebanese military source told L’Orient Today on Tuesday.
According to the No.v 27 cease-fire agreement signed between Lebanon and Israel, "The Lebanese security forces and the Lebanese Army will be the only entities authorized to carry weapons or deploy troops in southern Lebanon, under the supervision of the government. Unauthorized facilities related to the production of weapons will be dismantled, non-compliant military infrastructure and positions will be dismantled, and all unauthorized weapons will be confiscated." The cease-fire monitoring committee, comprising representatives from the Lebanese Army, the Israeli army, France, the United States and UNIFIL, is tasked with determining whether either of the warring parties is responsible for a violation. Any alleged violation must first be reported to the committee, according to the Lebanese military source.
A large-scale deployment of the Lebanese Army is also underway in the neighborhoods and streets of Sour and its surroundings, marking the start of the military's redeployment in the South.
Recruitment campaign
The army has also launched a recruitment campaign for trainee soldiers to join its combat units, as it prepares to deploy thousands of troops in southern Lebanon under the cease-fire agreement. The recruitment announcement, issued by the army command through the Ministry of Defense, specifies that the process is "voluntary" and that candidates must "meet the required conditions," according to the state-run National News Agency.
According to the Lebanese Army's website, candidates for recruitment must be between 17 and 25 years old, single, widowed or divorced without children, and must have been Lebanese citizens for at least 10 years. They must be in good health and hold at least a primary education diploma.
Additionally, candidates must enjoy full civil rights, have no criminal convictions or attempts thereof, and must never have been sentenced to more than six months in prison.
Candidates must not suffer from addiction to alcohol, drugs or gambling. Anyone wishing to join the military must also renounce any partisan, associative, or union affiliations and must never have donated an organ.
Candidates are invited to submit their applications in person at Lebanon Post offices during official working hours, from Dec. 3, 2024, to Jan. 3, 2025, inclusive.
"The number of recruits will be based on needs and in accordance with the conditions set by the army command," the statement specified.
On Nov. 29, caretaker Defense Minister Maurice Slim submitted a draft decree to the government requesting a treasury advance of LL 113.25 billion (approximately $1.26 million) to cover the monthly cost of recruiting 1,500 soldiers for the army over a three-month period.
Earlier this month, a decree for a similar amount was approved by the executive branch. Slim, who had boycotted the meeting, explained that he signed the decree because he believed that "recruiting 1,500 soldiers for the army is essential to strengthening its capabilities and enabling the deployment of additional forces in the South to fully implement Resolution 1701."
The minister issued a statement in early November expressing his frustration that the initial decree requesting additional credits had been added to the agenda "without his consultation or the proposal originating from his office."
