Israel tells US Lebanese army pilot program against Hezbollah failed

Key Points:

• Israel has informed the United States that a pilot program in southern Lebanon, initiated after a memorandum of understanding between Beirut and Jerusalem, has failed due to ineffective Lebanese Army operations against Hezbollah.
• The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) criticized the Lebanese Army for not acting on provided intelligence to destroy Hezbollah terror infrastructure and instead requesting more coordinates without taking significant action.
• Senior IDF officials allege that Lebanese Army Chief of Staff Rudolf Haykal cooperates with Hezbollah, fears confrontation with its commanders, and is ineffective in conducting searches or dismantling terror infrastructure.
• The Lebanese Army is perceived as more focused on coordination with Hezbollah rather than enforcement, with reports indicating reluctance to thoroughly investigate or destroy Hezbollah weapons caches.
• Due to dissatisfaction with the Lebanese Army's performance, Israel is hesitant to approve expansion of the pilot program to additional areas in southern Lebanon.