US reallocates $95 mln in military aid to Lebanon from Egypt: Source

The US has reallocated $95 million in military aid for Egypt to Lebanon, a source familiar with the matter said.

Congress will need a reprogramming request, but sources believe it will be passed easily. The Biden administration made a similar move in 2023, diverting $30 million in allocated military aid from Egypt to Lebanon.

US officials have said that support for the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) is crucial for US national security interests, strengthening Lebanon’s state institutions and pushing back against Hezbollah. Critics have said the LAF needs to do more to push back on Iran-backed Hezbollah, which continues to exert influence over most aspects of the government and, along with Palestinian factions, is the only other group with weapons outside the state’s control.

Nevertheless, the LAF has been a critical partner in the fight against ISIS.

Washington brokered a truce between the Iran-backed militant group and Israeli forces that went into effect last November after a yearlong war broke out when Hezbollah began attacking Israel in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. Hamas launched one of the deadliest attacks on Israel ever when it killed 1,200 people on Oct. 7, 2023. As part of the ceasefire deal, Israeli forces were to withdraw from occupied Lebanese lands before the LAF would take over areas, weapons depots and villages previously used by Hezbollah.

On Monday, US envoy Amos Hochstein headed a ceasefire mechanism meeting in southern Lebanon as Israeli forces began withdrawing from Naqoura and the LAF deployed. This was the second town Israel had withdrawn from, and Hochstein said this would continue “until all Israeli forces are out of Lebanon completely.”

Lebanon has said the LAF needs $400 million to properly equip troops to deploy to the south and exert state control over Lebanese territories.

According to sources, the first batch announced on Monday of $95 million is part of that plan.

The top US diplomat, Antony Blinken, spoke to Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan. “They discussed implementation of the cessation of hostilities between Israel and Lebanon, and the Secretary emphasized the need for continued support to Lebanon’s legitimate security institutions, such as the Lebanese Armed Forces and the Internal Security Forces,” State Department Spokesman Matt Miller said.