Media: Hezbollah rebuilding faster than Lebanese Army can dismantle

Hezbollah has significantly accelerated its reconstruction and rearmament efforts, outpacing the Lebanese army’s attempts to disarm the group, Western intelligence officials told The Jerusalem Post.

“Hezbollah is rebuilding faster than the Lebanese army is dismantling,” the officials stated, describing a widening gap between the group's resurgence and the Lebanese state’s ability to curtail it.

According to these sources, Hezbollah has not only replenished its arsenal — including rockets — but has also resumed recruitment efforts and restored strategic infrastructure such as bases and operational sites. These activities are primarily concentrated north of the Litani River, avoiding the zone south of the river near the Israeli border, which was designated as a Hezbollah-free area under a ceasefire agreement reached roughly a year ago.

Despite these developments, the Lebanese government recently introduced an action plan aimed at disarming the Iran-backed organization. In response, Israel agreed to reduce its military footprint in Lebanon, including the withdrawal from five outposts, contingent upon concrete action by the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) against Hezbollah.

According to Israeli and foreign sources speaking to The Jerusalem Post, the Lebanese army has shown "motivation and willingness to act" against Hezbollah — a shift from past hesitations. However, they cautioned that “the road to complete disarmament is still long.”

This cautious optimism underscores the significant structural and political challenges facing Lebanon’s military institutions as they confront a deeply entrenched and well-armed non-state actor.

Amid these developments, US President Donald Trump’s envoy, Tom Barrack, issued a pointed warning via X, highlighting the potential consequences of continued inaction by the Lebanese government.

“If Beirut continues to hesitate, Israel may act unilaterally — and the consequences would be severe,” Barrack wrote in a detailed post. “If Beirut fails to act, Hezbollah’s military wing will inevitably face a major confrontation with Israel — at a time when Israel is at the height of its strength and Iran-backed Hezbollah is at its weakest.”

By Vafa Guliyeva