Lebanon denies any army link to Hezbollah after Israeli strike
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FILE PHOTO: United Nations peacekeepers (UNIFIL) and Lebanese army soldiers stand guard at a checkpoint in Naqoura, near the Lebanese-Israeli border, southern Lebanon, October 27, 2022. REUTERS/Aziz Taher/File Photo
By Laila Bassam and Tala Ramadan
BEIRUT, Dec 23 (Reuters) - Lebanon on Tuesday rejected Israeli accusations that a Lebanese soldier killed in an air strike near the southern city of Sidon had links to Hezbollah, after Israel said it had attacked three militants working to rebuild the group’s infrastructure.
Israel’s military said the men were involved in planning attacks against its forces and that two were members of Hezbollah’s air defence unit. It also alleged that one of those killed was serving concurrently in Lebanese army intelligence.
The Lebanese army later confirmed that Warrant Officer Ali Abdullah of the army's Support Brigade and Anti-Tank Regiment was killed when an Israeli air strike hit a vehicle near Sidon on Monday.
The Lebanese defence ministry said suggestions that army personnel were tied to political or armed groups were false, and Defence Minister Michel Menassa said such reports amounted to a “malicious attack” on the institution.
A Hezbollah official also denied to Reuters any link between the group and members of the Lebanese army.
Diplomatic efforts are continuing to try to shore up a fragile truce along the Israel–Lebanon border.
A U.S.-backed ceasefire agreed in November 2024 ended more than a year of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah and required the disarmament of the Iran-aligned group, beginning in areas south of the river adjacent to Israel.
On Tuesday, the Lebanese army said it was nearing completion of the first phase of its plan and was carefully assessing and planning subsequent stages, taking into account all relevant conditions and developments.
Israel has repeatedly accused Hezbollah of attempting to rebuild military infrastructure in southern Lebanon, saying such activity violates understandings governing the Israel–Lebanon frontier.
A committee overseeing the Hezbollah–Israel truce said last week it was focusing on returning displaced civilians to their homes, amid concerns that tensions could flare if a year-end deadline to disarm Hezbollah is not met.
(Reporting by Laila Bassam and Tala Ramadan, Editing by William Maclean)
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