A Lebanese soldier during a deployment in Nabatieh, southern Lebanon, in front of a large portrait of Imad Mughniyeh, former military chief of Hezbollah, on Sept. 8, 2026. (Credit: Mohammad Yassine/L’Orient-Le Jour)
If one were to ask the Lebanese Army to use force to disarm Hezbollah, its answer would be a warning about the risk of “civil war” — the scenario invoked every few months, one that would serve Israel’s interests and doom the country. The military institution’s caution has many precedents in history, so much so that it has almost become a guiding principle.Yet, in line with government decisions over a year ago, the army has officially been tasked with dismantling the group’s infrastructure and confiscating its arsenal. And it was once again mobilized for this same aim by the government on March 2, in the wake of the war in support of Iran. This has heightened tensions between Army Commander Rodolph Haykal, who relies on the "Lebanese reality," and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, who is faithful to government commitments while also...
If one were to ask the Lebanese Army to use force to disarm Hezbollah, its answer would be a warning about the risk of “civil war” — the scenario invoked every few months, one that would serve Israel’s interests and doom the country. The military institution’s caution has many precedents in history, so much so that it has almost become a guiding principle.Yet, in line with government decisions over a year ago, the army has officially been tasked with dismantling the group’s infrastructure and confiscating its arsenal. And it was once again mobilized for this same aim by the government on March 2, in the wake of the war in support of Iran. This has heightened tensions between Army Commander Rodolph Haykal, who relies on the "Lebanese reality," and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, who is faithful to government commitments...
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