Screenshot from the documentary made by the Lebanese Army.
The approach is unusual. The Lebanese Army has broken its silence to create — with the collaboration of seasoned journalists — a documentary on its role in southern Lebanon, broadcast by Télé-Liban. In 24 minutes, the army not only addressed the Lebanese people, explaining what was happening in the area south of the Litani River, terribly damaged by Israeli attacks, but it also sent messages in several directions. Both to the international community, to the Israelis and even to Hezbollah, whose name is never mentioned in this filmed report.
The timing of the broadcast of this documentary is in itself a message, at a time of extreme international – and even internal – pressure to demand "decisive action" from the army on the issue of Hezbollah's weapons. The quiet one has therefore chosen to respond in its own way, through a report by a Télé-Liban team that accompanied the military on a tour throughout the area south of the Litani, from Naqoura in the west to Khiam in the eastern sector. Military officials in the region explained the role of the army and what it achieves daily. UNIFIL officials spoke about the mission of the peacekeepers and their close cooperation with the army. The floor is then given to citizens of this region who express their hope in the army's deployment and, through it, in the return of the state to this war-torn area.
Those who saw this documentary were thus able to gauge the extent of destruction in the border localities, where it is no longer even possible to discern the locations of roads or the various neighborhoods of the villages. You can see residents trying to guess where their houses used to be and soldiers who, among other missions, are trying to redefine the roads. Military officials in the sector explain their mission, symbolically called "the shield of the South against all threats," which involves several aspects. It is, of course, as stipulated in the agreement concluded on Nov. 27, to ensure its implementation by deploying throughout this area. But, as the documentary says, it's not just about deploying, "but also about protecting, building, and bringing back life."
According to the military, speaking in this report, the deployment has already been carried out, and the few places the army has not yet controlled are those still occupied by the Israelis. The latter are indeed present in force, and the camera emphasizes the five hills they continue to occupy, in addition to two other positions considered "buffer zones." According to the explanations provided, the army is present within the framework of special intervention units, commando forces, but also engineering and works forces, not to mention social teams. This is a strong message addressed to the Israelis about the intention of the commando forces to fight if necessary. It's also a message addressed to international parties about the army's mission to defend Lebanese sovereignty. It's also a message to Hezbollah that the army is somehow taking over from the "resistance" and that its role is now to defend and protect Lebanese territory.
The report thus mentions checkpoints, surveillance and precise measures on the ground to counter possible Israeli attacks. Military officials categorically affirm that the army is fully accomplishing its mission in the area south of the Litani, facing Israeli breaches of the agreement that now total more than 3,000. They add that the army constantly coordinates with UNIFIL.
'There will be no turning back'
The army's response thus fits on three levels: the determination to face the Israelis, dismantling facilities and weapons in this sector, without ever mentioning Hezbollah by name and finally supporting the residents of this devastated area. Military officials insist that there is no alternative to the army's role, in a clear allusion to Hezbollah, while trying to reassure citizens, who, for many, have long considered the party as their only protection against Israeli ambitions.
This represents a radical change in the Lebanese state's attitude concerning the South, since even after the adoption of U.N. Resolution 1701 in 2006, the army did not deploy in this area the necessary personnel to carry out the expected mission, and it is only now doing so, with precise instructions: to counter any threat to sovereignty and security.
At the same time, the military acknowledges that its action is concurrent with diplomatic efforts to obtain strict implementation of the cease-fire agreement. The challenges are certainly numerous, notably Israeli violations and the destruction of the entire region's infrastructure. In this context, the military emphasizes the army's social role in the South, highlighting the close and particular bond between soldiers and civilians in this region, thus indirectly showing that the army also has broad popular support, especially within Hezbollah's environment. In any case, in this report, the army wishes to present itself as an institution close to the residents, even as one of their main supports. As stated in the documentary, "for the citizens of the South, the army is the father, the son, the brother and the support, and this relationship is a source of tranquility for the inhabitants."
The message is therefore clear to all who want to hear it. The army is ready, but it must also be helped, both by means and by firm decisions against the Israelis, and above all by trusting it. This is addressed to Hezbollah, of course, as well as to all those who claim to support Lebanon. But the strongest message remains in this phrase on which the documentary concludes: "There will be no turning back."
This article was translated from L'Orient-Le Jour.
