Mohamed Azakir/Portal
Members of the Lebanese army walk in the village of Dhayra near the border with Israel in southern Lebanon on October 11.
CNN –
The Israeli military has repeatedly attacked the U.S.-backed Lebanese army in the north over the past two months, sparking concern in the Biden administration and sharp rebukes of the Israeli leadership from senior U.S. officials.
The Israelis have attacked Lebanese Forces positions more than 34 times since Oct. 7, including with small arms and artillery fire, drones and helicopters, according to U.S. officials, a regional security source and a list of incidents compiled and verified by the U.S., CNN reported.
The Biden administration has told Israel that the attacks were unacceptable, officials said. A senior U.S. official said the U.S. believes at least some of those attacks were accidental and instead targeted the powerful Shiite Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, which also operates along the Lebanese-Israeli border and has attacked Israeli military positions. But the intent of other attacks has been less clear, the official said, and younger Israeli troops may not exercise enough restraint.
But the scale of the incidents, which have gone unreported, has frustrated U.S. officials, as the U.S. believes the LAF must be part of an eventual diplomatic solution between Israel and Lebanon to calm the current violence. The U.S. is also deeply concerned that the conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza could spread northward, and U.S. officials have been working with Israel and Lebanon to try to contain the war.
“The United States has made clear that we do not want this conflict to expand into Lebanon, and we continue to call on the Israelis to do everything in their power to avoid targeting and destroying civilians, civilian infrastructure, “To avoid civilian farmland, the United Nations and the Lebanese armed forces,” a White House National Security Council spokesman told CNN. “The United States is proud of its partnership with the LAF, an important institution not only for the stability and security of Lebanon, but of the entire region.”
An Israel Defense Forces spokesman told CNN on Friday that any damage “caused to other forces is unintentional.”
“In response to Hezbollah’s aggression, the IDF is attacking the terrorist organization’s military infrastructure and working to eliminate any threat to the State of Israel,” said IDF spokesman Nir Dinar.
“Any harm to civilians and other forces is unintentional. Such incidents will be reviewed to enhance operational precautions and ensure accountability where necessary,” Dinar added.
The Lebanese military is not as strong as Hezbollah, which receives money, training and weapons from Iran and is one of the most formidable paramilitary forces in the Middle East. But U.S. support for the LAF gives Washington a partner in an active region with whom it can work on a range of priorities, including counterterrorism. The senior US official noted that the LAF was popular with the Lebanese public and, although not seen as a perfect counterweight to Hezbollah, was a neutral alternative that the US believes would be an important player in any future peace settlement will be.
US officials believe Israel's attacks on the Lebanese military since October 7 have resulted in at least eight injuries and one death.
On December 5, one Lebanese soldier was killed and three wounded after four tank shells hit a position on the Blue Line, the United Nations-designated border between Israel and Lebanon, according to a U.S. list of attacks seen by CNN.
The Israeli military apologized and said Lebanese forces were not the target of the attack. The LAF did not retaliate militarily, US officials said.
Other incidents in southern Lebanon included Israeli attacks on two LAF positions on October 21, in which an observation post was destroyed. Six days later, an LAF patrol that included a brigade commander came under direct fire, according to U.S. officials. On December 8, a Lebanese soldier suffered the effects of white phosphorus.
This was followed by an incident in October in which Israel reportedly used US-supplied white phosphorus munitions, injuring at least nine civilians, according to the Washington Post. The White House said it would seek answers from Israel about its use of white phosphorus.
“The IDF’s continued pattern of attacks against LAF positions is worrying and irresponsible. “The LAF is a critical and independent force that has been supported by successive U.S. administrations in recognition of its important role in stability in Lebanon,” a senior congressional aide said. “Many members of Congress share the administration’s grave concerns about such measures.”
As the pace of attacks escalated, government officials made it clear to Israel's leadership that they needed to be more careful, US officials told CNN. Meanwhile, the US is working with Lebanon to quell violence between Israel and Hezbollah and keep the northern border quiet. Israel wants Hezbollah to withdraw north of the Litani River, about 18 miles (29 kilometers) from the border, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said.
On October 13, two tank artillery attacks in southern Lebanon killed a Portal journalist and injured six other journalists while covering the fighting. The journalists, wearing what appeared to be blue body armor marked “Press,” were on an exposed hill as Israeli helicopters and drones buzzed overhead.
Investigations by two human rights groups, as well as Portal and Agence France-Presse, found the attacks were likely deliberate. Human Rights Watch described the attack as a potential war crime.
“This is not the first time that Israeli forces have appeared to intentionally attack journalists, with deadly and devastating consequences,” said Ramzi Kaiss, a Lebanon researcher at Human Rights Watch. “Those responsible must be held accountable and it must be made clear that journalists and other civilians are not legitimate targets.”