Lebanon’s Prime Minister Najib Mikati announced on Tuesday that the government is prepared to reinforce the Lebanese army’s presence in the south if a ceasefire is reached between Hezbollah and Israel. He highlighted Israel’s “hit-and-run” operations currently taking place in the country.
Speaking in an interview with the French Press Agency (AFP), Mikati said, “We currently have 4,500 soldiers stationed in southern Lebanon, and we expect to increase this number to between 7,000 and 11,000 troops.”
He added that if a ceasefire is achieved, “soldiers from non-conflict zones” could be redeployed to southern Lebanon to strengthen the security presence there.
When asked if Israeli forces have entered Lebanese territory as part of the ground operations they announced at the end of last month, Mikati responded, “Our information indicates that they are conducting hit-and-run operations—they come in and out.”
On a related note, Mikati confirmed that authorities have ramped up security measures at Beirut’s airport over the past week to prevent any attacks by Israel. This follows allegations from Israel accusing Hezbollah of using the airport to smuggle weapons. “As a government, we are doing everything within our power to remove these pretexts from Israel’s hands,” Mikati said.
He emphasized that passengers, aircraft, and cargo have all been subject to “rigorous checks” over the last week. The Lebanese government has previously denied Israeli accusations that Hezbollah was using the airport and border crossings for weapon smuggling.
