Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF)
The official military of Lebanon, tasked with enforcing the government's ban on Hezbollah's military activities but reportedly lacking capacity or will to do so.
Last refreshed: 14 March 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
Lebanon's army was ordered to stop Hezbollah; so why did it retreat instead?
Latest on Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF)
- What is the Lebanese Armed Forces?
- The Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) is Lebanon's official military, comprising the army, navy and air force. It is constitutionally Lebanon's sole legitimate armed force, though it has never enforced its mandate against Hezbollah.
- Why didn't Lebanon's army stop Hezbollah?
- The LAF has coexisted with Hezbollah under an informal arrangement: the army does not challenge Hezbollah's weapons; Hezbollah does not fracture the institution along sectarian lines. Acting against Hezbollah risks splitting the military and collapse of the state.
- Did Lebanon's army retreat from the border?
- Yes. In March 2026, the LAF withdrew from key border positions rather than enforce President Aoun's order to detain those who had fired on Israel, prompting a US warning that Washington would no longer distinguish between the Lebanese state and Hezbollah.
- How much US aid has Lebanon's army received?
- The United States has provided over $2.5 billion in security assistance to the Lebanese Armed Forces since 2006, the largest single donor relationship the LAF has.
Background
In March 2026, that understanding began to crack. President Joseph Aoun's government ordered the LAF to detain those who fired on Israel and to enforce a ban on Hezbollah operations from Lebanese soil. The LAF withdrew from key border positions rather than act. Washington warned it would no longer distinguish between the Lebanese state and Hezbollah if the army failed to comply.
The Lebanonese Armed Forces is the official military of Lebanon, constitutionally mandated as the country's sole legitimate armed force. Under UNSC Resolution 1701, it was tasked with deploying south of the Litani and preventing armed groups operating there, a mandate it has never enforced against Hezbollah. The LAF's institutional survival rests on an informal understanding: the army does not challenge Hezbollah's weapons; Hezbollah does not fracture the institution along sectarian lines.
Israel pressed forward regardless. Plans to seize all territory south of the Litani were confirmed even as Lebanon signalled compliance. When the 91st Division crossed the border, the LAF did not resist. Lebanon's army now faces its foundational dilemma at its sharpest: act against Hezbollah and risk fracture; refuse and lose its remaining international sponsors.
