Pentagon OKs $14.2M for Lebanon's army to dismantle Hezbollah sites
The demolition gear and patrol equipment are aimed at bolstering Lebanese forces tasked with dismantling Hezbollah’s remnants amid fears of a sectarian flare-up.
WASHINGTON — The Pentagon on Wednesday signed off on $14.2 million worth of equipment that officials said was intended to enable Lebanon's army to continue dismantling Hezbollah military positions.
The supplies, authorized under US presidential drawdown authority (PDA), largely consist of demolition equipment: shaped charges, detonating cords, blasting caps, various fuses and the like — as well as electrical generators and unspecified transportation articles, according to a list provided to Al-Monitor.
"The PDA package will provide the LAF [Lebanese Armed Forces] with capabilities to conduct patrols and safely remove and dispose of deadly unexploded ordnance (UXO) and Hezbollah weapons caches," in line with the November 2024 US-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, the Pentagon said in a press release.
Why it matters: The equipment is a small token of support from Washington as the Lebanese army faces intense pressure to dismantle Hezbollah's remaining infrastructure after a surprise Israeli offensive last year decimated the faction's military wing and killed longtime leader Hassan Nasrallah.
