Wall Street Journal: Hezbollah is rebuilding its arsenal while Israel loses its patience

The Wall Street Journal quoted sources as saying that the Lebanese Hezbollah has begun rebuilding its arsenal and reorganizing its ranks in a move that challenges the terms of the ceasefire agreement and increases the likelihood of renewed conflict with Israel.

The WSJ added that intelligence indicates Hezbollah is restocking missiles, anti-tank weapons, and artillery, explaining that some of these weapons arrive via seaports and smuggling routes through Syria.

A source also told the Wall Street Journal that Hezbollah is manufacturing some new weapons itself.

The Wall Street Journal indicated that Israel is beginning to lose patience with Hezbollah’s actions, which increases the likelihood of escalation on the Lebanese scene.

This comes as the Israeli Broadcasting Authority said on Friday that Israel is considering escalating its military operations in Lebanon in response to what it called Hezbollah’s efforts to strengthen its capabilities.

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a small security meeting on Thursday to discuss developments in Lebanon, against the backdrop of what she described as the party’s attempts to “rebuild its offensive and defensive capabilities”.

According to senior Israeli official who spoke to the WSJ said, “Hezbollah has partially succeeded in rebuilding its military structure, as this is considered as a direct violation of the existing security agreement with Lebanon”.

Other Israeli sources also said that Hezbollah has smuggled hundreds of short-range missiles from Syria into Lebanon in recent months and is working to rebuild its leadership.

For his part, Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said, “There will be no retreat from the state’s monopoly on the use of force, emphasizing that serious steps are being taken in this regard and stressing that this process is ongoing.

Salam added, “We’re mobilizing all our resources to bring about a cessation of Israeli hostilities… and we are working through the international monitoring committee to stop Israeli violations”.

These developments come amid escalating tensions on the border for weeks, as the Israeli army has intensified its airstrikes on southern Lebanon, despite the ceasefire declared at the end of 2014.

The agreement, which was reached under US and French auspices, stipulated that Hezbollah would withdraw from the area south of the Litani River (about 30 km from the border with Israel), dismantle its military structure there, and restrict the carrying of weapons in Lebanon to official security forces.

It also stipulated Israel’s withdrawal from the areas it had advanced into during the last war, but Israel kept its forces on five strategic hills in the south.

Under US pressure, the Lebanese government decided in August to disarm Hezbollah.

The Lebanese army devised a five-stage plan for disarmament, a move the party quickly rejected.