Video summary
Following an overnight attack where Hezbollah fired explosive drones at Israeli soldiers in southern Lebanon, the IDF launched air strikes against Hezbollah infrastructure in the Nahr al-Bared area. As both nations prepare to return to the negotiating table, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to meet with US ambassadors mediating direct talks between Israel and Lebanon. The next round of these discussions is expected to take place in Rome later this month, with Washington emphasizing that the dialogue must remain constructive despite the recent escalation.
In parallel diplomatic efforts, more than ten European Union countries have expressed their willingness to provide personnel and resources for a new mission aimed at supporting and training Lebanese security forces. This initiative seeks to help disarm Hezbollah, a goal long advocated by Western nations, as the decades-long UNIFIL mission prepares to wind down. The EU has stated it will not directly replace UNIFIL but intends to become an important part of the subsequent security architecture. A €100 million fund will be established to assist in training and policing the Lebanese Armed Forces, though the exact nature of any joint operations with Hezbollah remains unclear.
The departure of UNIFIL is largely attributed to US pressure, as the United States views the mission as ineffective in preventing Hezbollah from storing weapons and maintaining control in southern Lebanon. Consequently, Europeans are stepping in to fill the void left by the Americans, who prefer not to deploy troops on the ground. However, significant ambiguity surrounds whether this new European force will engage in active combat or merely monitor sectarian clashes while freeing up Lebanese forces to confront Hezbollah. The lack of clarity regarding the scope of these operations and the potential for joint military actions against Hezbollah continues to be a major point of uncertainty.
Diplomatic progress on disarming Hezbollah appears stalled, partly due to regional pressure that insists bilateral deals are insufficient without addressing the broader Palestinian question and the ongoing Iran war. While France was involved in earlier ceasefire talks, it is currently not part of the direct negotiations between the US, Israel, and Lebanon, though European nations are eager to re-enter the diplomatic fold. The EU foreign policy chief has indicated a commitment to deploying forces as a continuation of previous efforts, driven by a desire to prevent fighting from spilling into Beirut and to support stability in the region. Ultimately, Europe's role remains one of supportive intervention rather than direct leadership in the complex security and diplomatic landscape of Lebanon.
Read the full video transcript
The IDF launched air strikes against
Hezbollah infrastructure in the
Navatiyeh area of southern Lebanon early
today following an overnight attack
where Hezbollah fired two explosive
drones targeting Israeli soldiers
stationed on the Ali al-Tahir ridge.
Israeli troops opened fire downing one
drone and no IDF casualties were
reported. This as Israel and Lebanon are
preparing to return to the negotiating
table. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu will meet the US ambassadors
to Israel and Lebanon who have been
mediating the direct talks between the
two countries. The next round is
expected in Rome later this month with
Washington insisting the dialogue
remains constructive. Meanwhile, more
than 10 EU countries say they are
willing to provide personnel and
resources for new European mission
supporting and training Lebanon security
forces. In an effort to help disarm
Hezbollah which western countries have
long called for. This comes as the
decades-long UNIFIL mission prepares to
wind down. The EU says it will not
replace UNIFIL but it could become an
important part of the security
architecture that follows it.
And for more we go now to Anchal Vohra,
international affairs columnist at the
Foreign Policy Magazine. Thank you for
joining us. Let's start with what we're
hearing from the Europeans and what
exactly
this mission would do and what it
wouldn't do.
>> Well, I think the more important
question really is what it wouldn't do
because it's not clear at all. What it
has said is it's going to be a 100
million euro pot and from this money
they're going to be helping the Lebanese
armed forces train better. They're going
to police Lebanese armed forces. This is
all of the usual stuff the Europeans are
comfortable getting involved in. But
they seem to be suggesting that you
know, it's going to be some some of a uh
they're not saying it but the is clear.
It's going to be some sort of a
continuation of a UN-backed mission. UN
Secretary General has proposed three
options. He's put three options on the
table. The number of troops in each uh
vary, but it's from 900 to 3,000.
Uh these troops be armed and unarmed.
Armed troops, it says, would essentially
protect the unarmed troops. Uh what is
interesting though is this plan talks
about joint operations with the LAF.
What's not clear is joint operations of
what sort? Joint operations of if they
come under Hezbollah attack, joint
operations of trying to contain
Hezbollah. That bit is not clear. Will
the Europeans actually be engaged in
taking on Hezbollah if they were uh
actively or if they were caught in a
situation? Or are they suggesting, you
know, that that this is some of it is
some of the reporting suggests that it
could be the Europeans will
take on other responsibilities of the
LAF has and uh free up the LAF to take
on Hezbollah. What does that mean? Does
that mean it's going to turn into some
sort of an internal security force? So,
if there is a risk of sectarian clashes,
then the Europeans are keeping an eye.
All very confusing. What we can say is
that it will be some sort of a force
projection and that it would involve uh
certainly training the LAF and, you
know, making them better and more
equipped in taking on Hezbollah.
>> Certainly a lot of questions still and
lack of clarity. Why is uh the UNIFIL
leaving and what kind of hole will it
leave in Southern Lebanon? And and and
how much could these
uh this new European mission help
mitigate that?
>> Well, the reason that UNIFIL is leaving
is uh technically speaking because the
US has said that the mandate should not
be uh extended and US is a veto-holding
member of the UNSC. Uh the reason the US
has said it because of its ally Israel
not wanting the UNIFIL be there and
frankly finding it quite useless over
the years because it could not stop
Hezbollah from uh storing weapons and
keeping the control that it had in
southern Lebanon. If you talk to the
UNIFIL guys, they'd say they did a great
job cuz all these years there was no war
and you know, they did all the
monitoring and whatnot. Uh the role that
Europeans will play is essentially, in
short, the Americans don't want to
deploy boots on the ground and the
Europeans will be the western boots on
the ground. And the role they would play
would be different. They would play some
sort of a monitoring role which the
UNIFIL did. So, in that sense, it's a
continuation. But the fundamental
question again is what sort of an active
combat role, if any at all, will they
play because, you know, the LAF, how are
they going to take on Hezbollah? This
has forever been the question, hasn't
it?
>> Mhm. And it continues to be the
question. If we look at the ongoing
talks between Israel and Lebanon, how
much progress has actually been made and
and do the Europeans play any role in
this diplomatic uh part in the
diplomatic steps to reach uh an
agreement where Hezbollah is disarmed?
>> I mean, you know, the talks are
stalling, I think. I'm afraid uh that
seems to be the situation and in the
beginning, a couple of months ago, you
know, there was this bit of a momentum
that's been lost, I think. A part partly
because uh I sense there's a lot of
pressure from regional countries who
seem to think this is too easy. The
deal, these bilateral deals are not
okay. There's got to be a broader Arab
peace. Uh they don't want, you know, a
deal a bilateral deal without the
Palestinian question being on the table.
Fair enough, but that's kind of stalled
uh uh the uh that uh conversation and
also the Iran war has played a role.
Don't know if US really has a clear
policy on this one. Um what role can the
Europeans uh uh play diplomatically?
France was on the table during the first
ceasefire, uh but it's not a part of
these talks at all. This is between the
US, Israel, and Lebanon.
So, they are kind of itching to be back
on the table and play some sort of a
role. And France has been, you know, the
first thing that happened was France
talked to Meloni of Italy and then
met of of of Germany and essentially
trying to get them to be involved in
Lebanon. And that's now we're hearing
the EU foreign policy chief talking
about you know, we will deploy there
will be some sort of a continuation of
this. So, Europe not on the table but
very much wanting to be a part of it.
They are, you know, they do see Lebanon,
Beirut. This is a soft spot here. They,
you know, don't want fighting to extend
there
and will
lend support if they can.
>> All right. Anchal Vohra, thank you very
much for coming on.