President Joseph Aoun has ordered Lebanon’s security chiefs to prepare for a possible Israeli escalation and strengthen the army and security forces’ presence in the south, following a warning that Israel could step up military action if Hezbollah does not surrender its weapons, according to Nidaa Al Watan.

The warning was conveyed to Aoun by U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa during a meeting at the presidential palace in Baabda on September 4, the newspaper reported.

According to Nidaa Al Watan, the message was that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s bottom line was the surrender of Hezbollah’s weapons and that Israel would accept nothing less. 

Aoun received the message with concern, the report said, particularly because Netanyahu is unlikely to shy away from moves that could strengthen his political standing ahead of Israel’s parliamentary elections on October 27. Any escalation could benefit Netanyahu by allowing him to project strength and decisiveness and improve his political standing, according to the report.

Against that backdrop, Aoun called the heads of Lebanon’s security agencies to a meeting in Baabda on Wednesday to discuss preparations for a possible escalation.

The meeting focused on drawing up a preemptive plan to deal with any potential Israeli escalation, as well as a field plan to strengthen the deployment of the army and security forces throughout the south, particularly in villages not occupied by Israel and in Nabatieh.

The army has stepped up its presence in Nabatieh in recent hours, following appeals from residents for it to take charge of security in the city.

Security chiefs presented detailed reports on the situation in the region. Aoun stressed the need to prevent any security vacuum in the south, saying such a vacuum could provide a pretext for attacks and undermine Lebanon’s sovereignty.

Aoun also made clear that the army and security forces’ deployment in Nabatieh was directly tied to Lebanon’s commitments and its negotiating position in talks with Israel, according to the report. Maintaining internal security would strengthen the official Lebanese position, he said.

The president’s remarks also appeared to place responsibility on the security agencies for enforcing the State’s decisions and ensuring that its position in the negotiations was backed by action on the ground.

The meeting concluded with a decision to strengthen the State’s presence in the south through concrete measures, including patrols and checkpoints, preventing the looting of homes and protecting residents in cities and villages that are not under Israeli occupation.

Such measures are intended to reassure residents in the south and bolster confidence in the state, Nidaa Al Watan reported.