Israel is refusing to hand over a Hezbollah facility found in Majdal Zoun to the Lebanese army and is insisting on blowing it up itself.
Lebanese channel Al Jadeed reported, citing military sources, that Israel has rejected a request to transfer control of the Hezbollah site in Majdal Zoun to the Lebanese army. According to the report, Israel is determined to demolish the facility directly, rather than allow Lebanese forces to handle it.
The report comes as residents in the area were reportedly given advance warning because of the expected force of the explosion. The blast is said will be powerful enough to feel like an earthquake, underlining the scale of the Hezbollah infrastructure discovered at the site.
The dispute highlights Israel’s lack of trust in the Lebanese army’s ability or willingness to neutralize Hezbollah’s military assets in south Lebanon. For Israel, the issue is not symbolic control, but the complete destruction of Hezbollah’s underground and military infrastructure before it can be reused.
