The commander of the Lebanese Army’s South Litani sector on Friday dismissed Israeli allegations that Hezbollah is smuggling weapons into southern Lebanon, saying no evidence has been provided to the relevant monitoring mechanism to support the claims.

Speaking to reporters during a tour of the area, the commander highlighted recent changes in UN peacekeeping operations, noting that the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) has withdrawn some of its equipment and naval assets, and that 640 personnel have left the country so far.

“The army’s mission is to uphold international resolutions,” he said, stressing the military’s commitment to maintaining stability and enforcing Lebanon’s obligations under UN Security Council mandates.

He also outlined the army’s ongoing “National Shield” plan, which is designed to place weapons under the exclusive control of the state. Since its launch, the army has dealt with 177 tunnels, closed 11 crossings along the Litani River, and seized 566 rocket launchers.

“For the first time, we are presenting the army’s plan in detail to the media,” he said. “No evidence has been found of any weapons entering the South Litani region, and the local population is fully cooperating.”

The commander said 10,000 soldiers remain deployed in South Litani despite operational challenges, operating out of 200 army posts. He added that 20 of these posts had been destroyed during Israeli attacks.

Acknowledging ongoing tensions along the border, he said the army has carried out more than 300,000 military operations in the region to date.

Addressing recent strikes on civilian homes, he said: “The houses that were hit were civilian. We were not asked to inspect them at the time, but after the attacks, inspections confirmed that no weapons were present.”