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STORY: :: Al Jazeera ExclusiveAMOS HOCHSTEIN: "This ceasefire is a permanent ceasefire.”Lebanon’s army is entrusted with making sure a ceasefire with Israel lasts. It has started to deploy additional troops south of the Litani river, near the southern border… …an area Israel bombarded heavily, and which the agreement says must now be free of Hezbollah weapons. With only the Lebanese army and the U.N.’s peacekeeping force allowed to bear arms along the frontier. But will the army be able to keep the peace? :: Caught in the middle It will be sandwiched between two other military forces. :: Al Jazeera ExclusiveHOCHSTEIN: “As the Lebanese army will redeploy back down to the South, the Israeli forces will leave.” :: Israeli army handout:: Released November 26Israeli troops remain in some border areas - given a maximum 60 days to withdraw by the truce. Their presence complicates the role of Lebanon’s military, security sources told Reuters. Hezbollah lawmaker Hassan Fadlallah said the group supports Lebanon having an army strong enough to counter Israeli violations. But Lebanon’s army is no match for Israel’s and stayed on the sidelines of the war.Even when Israeli forces hit it directly, like this deadly strike on a southern army post in November. Israeli strikes killed at least 46 Lebanese soldiers overall. Hezbollah meanwhile has vowed to continue its resistance and monitor Israel’s withdrawal with its fighters’ “fingers on the trigger”. :: Hezbollah quandary The group’s military prowess has been hit hard. Israeli operations killed thousands of its fighters and its veteran leader, Hassan Nasrallah.But analysts say it retains a large arsenal, Iranian backing and sway over the government in Beirut. Hezbollah approved the ceasefire, but has not declared how it intends to help implement it. A senior Lebanese political source said the group's military facilities "would be dismantled.” But it was not immediately clear by whom – whether Hezbollah would do it itself, or whether Lebanon’s army would be tasked with it. One diplomat said scenes of troops trying to seize the group’s weapons could lead to civil war. A large proportion of Lebanese soldiers are Shi'ite Muslim, like Hezbollah. Any confrontation between the two forces would risk dividing army ranks. :: A fragile unity :: November 22, 1959 Founded in 1945, the Lebanese army includes Sunni Muslims, Shi'ites and Christians, making it a long-standing symbol of national unity. :: 1976 But sectarian pressures did split it during the civil war in the 1970s. The army’s priority is staying intact now, as Lebanon tries to recover from a devastating conflict that heightened domestic tensions.:: A cash-strapped army :: 2021 The military is so under-funded it started offering helicopter tours to raise cash when Lebanon’s financial crisis slashed the salaries it could pay. It relies on foreign funding, especially hundreds of millions of dollars from Washington. At a conference in Paris in October, caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati said Lebanon would need more help to shore up and expand the army."The decision to recruit more soldiers is a significant step towards enhancing the capacity of the Lebanese armed forces to maintain security and stability in the region. However, the successful implementation of this commitment will require the support and assistance of the international community."Countries pledged $200 million – and the European Union also offered additional funds.
