In an effort to support a ceasefire deal it assisted in mediating between Israel and Hezbollah, the Biden administration is transferring over $100 million in military aid from Israel and Egypt to Lebanon in its final days.
Separate notices to Congress stated that the State Department was shifting $7.5 million for Israel and $95 million for Egypt in military aid to the Lebanese government and army. The notices were dated Jan. 3 and obtained by The Associated Press on Tuesday.
The Lebanese Armed Forces will receive the majority of the funding, as they play a vital role in maintaining the truce that was reached in November after an all-out conflict between Israel and Hezbollah that ravaged parts of southern and eastern Lebanon for two months.
It will support the LAF’s deployment in the southern part of the nation and enhance the function of the U.N. peacekeeping force policing the so-called Blue Line, which has divided Israel and Lebanon since the conclusion of the 2006 month-long Israel-Hezbollah conflict.
“An empowered LAF will be necessary for the successful implementation (of the ceasefire), which will require strong support from the United States and other partners,” the State Department stated in the notices, which explained the funding changes in almost the same words.
Before the end of January, Israel and Hezbollah agreed to withdraw their forces from southern Lebanon; the Lebanese army and U.N. monitors would monitor compliance.
“The LAF can prevent potential destabilization from ISIS and other terrorist groups, provide security for both the Lebanese people and U.S. personnel, and strengthen its capacity as the nation’s sole legitimate military force and defender of Lebanon’s territorial integrity thanks to U.S. security assistance,” The Department of State
Although it was not immediately apparent whether there would be objections to such a tiny amount of moved money, pro-Israel members of Congress and others have previously complained about any diversion of U.S. support to Israel.
However, certain individuals who have been vocal supporters of Israel and opponents of US aid to the Lebanese military have frequently claimed that Hezbollah has infiltrated it. That assertion was denied in the notices.
The State Department stated that “U.S. support to the LAF reinforces the LAF as an important institutional counterweight to Hezbollah, which receives financial support, training, and weapons from Iran.” “The LAF is respected in all sectors and remains an independent, non-sectarian institution in Lebanon.”
In a separate notice, which was also issued to Congress on January 3, the department said that it would give $15 million to Lebanon’s Internal Security Forces to help them take control of southern regions and establish themselves as the nation’s main law enforcement force.
According to the notification, the money would mostly be used to buy cars, upgrade radio communications, and restore police stations.
Additionally, the third notice told lawmakers that the administration will give Jordan’s Public Security Directorate $2.5 million to bolster its reaction to public protests and $3.06 million to the Palestinian Authority police to support its operations in the West Bank.
Reference News:- US shifts $100 million in military aid from Israel and Egypt to Lebanon to bolster ceasefire
