USD 100 mn in military aid shifted from Israel, Egypt to Lebanon to aid ceasefire

Washington: In its last days, the Biden administration is moving more than $100 million in military aid from Israel and Egypt to Lebanon in an effort to strengthen the cease-fire agreement it helped arrange between Israel and Hezbollah.

In separate notices to Congress, the State Department stated that USD 95 million in military assistance meant for Egypt and USD 7.5 million for Israel would be directed towards aiding the Lebanese army and government. The notices were dated January 3 and received by The Associated Press on Tuesday.

The majority of the money will go to the Lebanese Armed Forces, which played a vital role in establishing the truce that was agreed upon in November following an all-out war between Israel and Hezbollah that ravaged parts of southern and eastern Lebanon for two months, AP reported.

It is designed to assist the LAF in deploying in the country's south and to supplement the function of the UN peacekeeping mission patrolling the so-called Blue Line, which has separated Israel and Lebanon since the end of a month-long Israel-Hezbollah conflict in 2006.

“Successful implementation (of the ceasefire) will require an empowered LAF, which will need robust assistance from the United States and other partners,” the State Department said in the notices, both of which used nearly identical language to explain the funding shifts.

Both Israel and Hezbollah agreed to withdraw their forces from southern Lebanon by the end of January, with compliance monitored by the Lebanese army and UN peacekeepers.

“US security assistance to the LAF increases its capacity as the country's only legitimate military force and defender of Lebanon's territorial integrity, enables the LAF to prevent potential destabilisation from ISIS and other terrorist groups, and enables the LAF to provide security both for the Lebanese people and for US personnel,” the State Department said.

Pro-Israel members of Congress and others have previously objected to any diversion of US aid to Israel, but it was unclear whether there would be objections to such a minor amount of transferred money.

At the same time, some staunch supporters of Israel and critics of US military aid to Lebanon have frequently claimed that Hezbollah has infiltrated it. The notices denied the claim.

“US support to the LAF reinforces the LAF as an important institutional counterweight to Hezbollah, which receives weapons, training, and financial support from Iran,” the State Department said. “The LAF continues to be an independent, non-sectarian institution in Lebanon, and is respected across all sectors.”

In a separate notice, also addressed to Congress on January 3, the department stated that it will send USD 15 million to Lebanon's Internal Security Forces to guarantee that they become the country's major law enforcement entity and support the LAF in managing southern areas.

According to the notification, the money will be spent mostly on rebuilding police stations, improving radio communications, and purchasing vehicles.

The third notice also reminded lawmakers that the administration will pay USD 3.06 million to Palestinian Authority police to bolster their operations in the West Bank, as well as USD 2.5 million to Jordan's Public Security Directorate to assist with their reaction to public demonstrations.