In the crossfire: Can Lebanon stay out of the Iran-Israel war?

Report by Edmond Sassine, English adaptation by Yasmine Jaroudi    

As drones, rockets, and warplanes traversed Lebanon's skies amid the escalating conflict between Iran and Israel, Lebanese authorities are intensifying political and security efforts to prevent the country from being pulled into the widening regional war.

On the ground in South Lebanon, the Lebanese Army has bolstered its deployment at sensitive locations to prevent rocket launches that could provoke further escalation. Measures have also been tightened at checkpoints leading to areas south of the Litani River to prevent any armed group from exploiting the volatile situation.

In parallel with military and security efforts across the southern region, Lebanese intelligence services have issued explicit warnings to Palestinian factions, urging them not to involve Lebanon in the conflict under any pretext. 

Security sources noted that through formal communication channels, they sensed a clear stance from Hezbollah to avoid engagement in the current conflict and to keep Lebanon out of the hostilities.

Despite repeated Israeli airstrikes and the assassination of several Hezbollah members following the ceasefire agreement, the group has refrained from retaliating. 

Sources indicate that Lebanese security attention is also focused on the country's interior and the Syrian border in northern Bekaa, where concerns remain about the potential for opportunistic infiltration or clashes. An exchange of fire on the border Friday was described as limited in scope, with no reports of Syrian reinforcements entering the area.

President Joseph Aoun chaired a high-level security meeting with the ministers of interior, defense, and public works, as well as the heads of Lebanon's security agencies, to assess recent developments. The resulting statement emphasized steps being taken to maintain internal stability, ensure the safety of civil aviation, and preserve operational readiness.

Amid the ongoing regional and international developments, Lebanon continues to prioritize the renewal of the U.N. peacekeeping force mandate in the south. 

Recent Israeli media claims suggesting the mission might be canceled were denied by U.S. officials. This position was reinforced by a visiting U.S. delegation in Beirut this week, which met with key stakeholders and heard both the UNIFIL and Lebanese perspectives. 

Lebanese authorities emphasized the critical role of UNIFIL in supporting the Lebanese Army and maintaining stability along the southern border, warning that a withdrawal would isolate the army and risk further destabilizing the region.