US shifts over $100M in military aid from Israel, Egypt to Lebanon

WASHINGTON — The Biden administration in its ultimate days is shifting greater than $100 million in army help from Israel and Egypt to Lebanon because it tries to bolster a ceasefire settlement it helped mediate between Israel and Hezbollah.

In separate notices despatched to Congress, the State Division mentioned it was shifting $95 million in army help meant for Egypt and $7.5 million for Israel towards supporting the Lebanese military and its authorities. The notices have been dated Jan. 3 and obtained by The Related Press on Tuesday.

Many of the cash will go to the Lebanese Armed Forces, which have a crucial function in standing up the ceasefire that was agreed to in November following an all-out struggle that battered a lot of southern and jap Lebanon for 2 months.

It’s meant to assist the LAF deploy within the south of the nation and complement the function of the U.N. peacekeeping mission patrolling the so-called Blue Line, which has separated Israel and Lebanon because the finish of a 2006 struggle between Israel and the Hezbollah militant group.

“Profitable implementation [of the ceasefire] would require an empowered LAF, which is able to want strong help from the US and different companions,” the State Division mentioned within the notices, each of which used practically an identical language to clarify the funding shifts.

Each Israel and Hezbollah agreed to tug their forces out of southern Lebanon earlier than the top of January, with compliance to be overseen by the Lebanese military and U.N. peacekeepers.

“U.S. safety help to the LAF will increase its capability because the nation’s solely authentic army pressure and defender of Lebanon’s territorial integrity, permits the LAF to stop potential destabilization from ISIS and different terrorist teams, and permits the LAF to offer safety each for the Lebanese folks and for U.S. personnel,” the State Division mentioned.

Critics of U.S. help to the Lebanese army have typically complained that it has been infiltrated by Hezbollah, however the notices rejected that declare.

“U.S. help to the LAF reinforces the LAF as an necessary institutional counterweight to Hezbollah, which receives weapons, coaching, and monetary help from Iran,” the State Division mentioned. “The LAF continues to be an impartial, non-sectarian establishment in Lebanon, and is revered throughout all sectors.”

In a 3rd discover, additionally despatched to Congress on Jan. 3, the division mentioned it was going to offer $15 million to Lebanon’s Inside Safety Forces to make sure that they grow to be the first regulation enforcement entity within the nation and help the LAF in controlling areas within the south.

That cash will primarily be used to rebuild police stations, enhance radio communications and buy autos, the discover mentioned.

The third discover additionally knowledgeable lawmakers that the administration would offer $3.06 million to the Palestinian Authority police to help its operations within the West Financial institution and $2.5 million to Jordan’s Public Safety Directorate to help its response to public demonstrations.