Rodolphe Haykal

General Rodolphe Haykal (Born 1969, Beirut) is the commander-in-chief of the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF). He was promoted to Brigadier General in July 2018, appointed chief of army operations in June 2024, and elevated to full General and army commander on 13 March 2025, taking formal command on 17 March 2025. Before his appointment as army commander he served as commander of the army sector south of the Litani River — direct operational experience in the territory now central to the 2026 Ceasefire implementation.

The Lebanese army occupies a structurally ambiguous position in the conflict: it is the sole internationally recognised military force in Lebanon and the institution through which US and European military assistance flows, but has historically lacked the capability or political mandate to confront Hezbollah directly. The LAF's role under the Ceasefire framework is to deploy into southern Lebanon as Israeli forces withdraw, making the army commander's relationship with the US monitoring mechanism operationally critical.

On 3 May 2026, General Haykal met Lieutenant General Joseph Clearfield, head of the US-led Ceasefire monitoring mechanism, in Beirut. Lebanese state media described the session as 'exceptional' — the highest-tempo military-to-military contact since the 16 April ceasefire. The meeting came the day after Israeli air strikes killed 41 people in southern Lebanon, placing the monitoring mechanism under its most serious stress test. Haykal has also navigated domestic political pressure, with reports in early 2026 that the Lebanese Prime Minister was considering removing him over disagreements on Hezbollah policy.