US pledges $117 mn in aid to Lebanon military

The United States announced Saturday it would donate more than $117 million in security assistance for Lebanon’s armed forces, as the crisis-hit country seeks to implement a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah.

The State Department said in a statement that it had convened a “virtual donors meeting” on Thursday “with partners and allies to discuss critical security assistance needed for Lebanon to fully implement the cessation of hostilities.”

It said the new assistance to Beirut would support both the country’s armed forces and internal security forces “as they work to assert Lebanese sovereignty across the country.”

Lebanon has struggled for years to finance its public institutions including the army following a 2019 economic crisis.

It now also faces the challenge of rebuilding the country after more than two months of war between Hezbollah and Israel ended in November. The militant group had initiated fighting over the Gaza conflict.

New Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said Saturday that Israel must withdraw from his country’s south by the January 26 deadline set to fully implement the ceasefire deal, which calls for Lebanese forces to deploy alongside UN peacekeepers there.

At the same time, Hezbollah is required to dismantle any remaining military infrastructure it has in the south and pull its forces back north of the Litani River, some 30 kilometers (20 miles) from the border.

During a visit to Beirut on Friday, French President Emmanuel Macron said that Paris would soon host an aid conference to help rebuild Lebanon after the Israel-Hezbollah war.

Earlier this week, Spain announced a 10-million-euro ($10.3-million) aid package for Lebanon’s army.