Overview
- Lebanese and U.S. media reported that Gen. Rodolphe Haykal’s Washington visit and an embassy reception were called off shortly before his departure after the LAF statement.
- The statement followed a UNIFIL incident in which Israeli tank fire hit near peacekeepers inside Lebanon, which UNIFIL called a serious violation and Israel attributed to mistaken identification in poor weather.
- Senators Lindsey Graham and Joni Ernst publicly criticized the LAF’s rhetoric and warned the episode could imperil future American military assistance.
- American and Lebanese sources say the cancellations serve as a warning to accelerate steps toward Hezbollah’s disarmament, with Lebanese media reporting the matter has been elevated to Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
- Lebanese officials caution that the army has limited capacity to confront Hezbollah directly as ongoing Israeli strikes and unresolved border positions complicate implementation of the ceasefire.