Army Commander-in-Chief Meets with Command Staff and Operational Unit and Regiment Commanders
The Lebanese Army Commander-in-Chief General Rodolph Haykal held an extraordinary meeting in Yarzeh, attended by the members of the Command Staff, the commanders of operational units and regiments, and a number of officers. The meeting addressed the latest developments affecting Lebanon and the Army amid the current exceptional circumstances.
The meeting began with a minute of silence in remembrance of the martyrs of the Army and the nation who were killed as a result of the Israeli aggression, the most recent of whom fell at dawn today during a hostile landing operation in the Khraybe – Nabi Chit area.
During the meeting, General Haykal addressed the circumstances surrounding the landing operation, explaining that members of the unit that carried it out were wearing military uniforms similar to those of the Lebanese Army, and that they used military vehicles as well as ambulances resembling those of the Islamic Health Authority.
He also stressed that the Israeli attacks targeting Lebanon and its citizens are hindering the implementation of the Army’s plan, amid rapidly evolving regional developments that are impacting the overall situation in the country.
He said: “The command takes its decisions in accordance with the prevailing complex circumstances, keeping firmly a primary objective: safeguarding Lebanon and ensuring its unity, while preserving the military institution, which operates under intense internal and external pressures and with limited resources, while exerting every effort to maintain internal stability and national unity. The Army stands at an equal distance from all the Lebanese people and deals with them according to its role as a unifying national institution.”
He added: “This critical phase is closely linked to Lebanon’s very survival. The solution is not solely a military one; rather, it requires coordinated political and official efforts at all levels, working in parallel with the Army’s efforts to safeguard national unity and overcome the challenges. We emphasize that the solution in Lebanon rests on two fundamental pillars: first, obliging the Israeli side to cease its attacks and ongoing violations of Lebanon’s sovereignty and stability; and second, strengthening the capabilities of the military institution so that it can carry out the tasks entrusted to it during the current and upcoming phases.”
Regarding the situation in the South, General Haykal noted that the Army is operating under extremely difficult conditions amid escalating Israeli attacks. He explained that the Army is carrying out a redeployment in the border area and repositioning its units within the South Litani Sector, as part of broader measures involving various units deployed across the country, while taking into account the need to preserve the institution and its personnel and to keep pace with the rapidly evolving developments.
He continued: “The Army places great emphasis on addressing citizen displacement, providing all possible support, safeguarding shelters, and maintaining security in their vicinity through exceptional security measures.”
General Haykal concluded by reviewing developments along the Lebanese–Syrian border, noting that the Army has reinforced its presence in the border area and continues its coordination with the relevant Syrian authorities.
